Nineteen Years
by Sonata Rapp
Summary: Kagome returns to the Feudal Era after being away for 19 years. She finds Inuyasha cold, bitter, and the father of two. Is Kikyo their mother? Can Kagome find a way back into Inuyasha's heart? And what will happen when a new foe appears? NOW COMPLETED!
1. Chapter 1

Nineteen Years 

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Le Sigh… **

**Chapter 1**

Kagome walked up to the hut apprehensively. It had been almost twenty years since she had last stepped foot inside. Everything looked much the same, except that now, instead of old Kaede sitting outside of the hut, there was a young woman weaving a basket. She was obviously a half demon, and even more obviously the offspring of Inuyasha and whomever he had found to replace Kagome in his life. Her hair was long and black, tipped in silver. She had cute sliver dog-ears atop her head and they twitched as her fingers flew.

"Excuse me," Kagome said, just as she finally reached the girl.

It was apparent that she had long been aware of Kagome's presence by the way she calmly looked up at her. The girl's eyes, she noticed, were a deeper shade of amber than her father's but they looked much the same. "Hello," she replied.

"Um… I was looking for Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, hesitantly. "Does he live here?"

"Yep," the girl responded. She stood up, brushing off her long skirt. "Papa!" she yelled. "There's someone here to see you!"

"Quit yelling at me Kita!" Kagome froze as Inuyasha shouted back from inside the hut. "If you've got something to say then come in here and say it."

The girl, Kita, heaved a sigh and walked into the hut. Her father was reclining against the back wall sharpening his faithful Tetsusaiga. "Papa," Kita said again, "there's a woman outside who wants to see you."

"A woman?" Inuyasha asked suspiciously. His heart sped up a little bit. It couldn't be.

"Yeah," his daughter responded. "And she looks just like Mama did. Except for her clothes. She's wearing the strangest clothes."

The whetstone dropped from Inuyasha's hand. She'd come back. Kagome had come back. She was nineteen years late, though, and Inuyasha refused to reopen old wounds. He picked up the sharpening tool again and went back to his sword. "Tell her to leave. It's too late." He told his daughter. "I… I can't do this again."

"Okay…" the girl replied. She had no idea what her father was talking about, or why this woman who looked so much like her mother was causing him such grief. Kita walked back outside to where Kagome was still standing. "He said that you have to leave." She told her.

Kagome recoiled. "Oh," she murmured. "Is that all he said?"

"He also said that it was too late and that he couldn't do it again. I don't know what he meant by that, but it probably has something to with the fact that you look like my mother."

"Y-your mother?" Kagome stammered. The only woman in this time that looked like her was Kikyo, and there was no way that she could have been this girl's mother. She was dead.

"Yeah," Kita was saying. "She died a while back. I was only five at the time."

"Kita!" Inuyasha yelled from the hut. "Stop talking to strange women and get inside!"

"Fine, Papa!" Kita yelled back. She turned to Kagome. "I'm sorry about that. He seems to be really upset."

"I-I can understand." Kagome said. "Tell him that I'll be staying with Miroku and Sango while I'm here, if he asks." She took one last look at the hut and began to walk away.

"Hey, um, excuse me!" Kita shouted after her. "Um, could I maybe get your name?"

"I'm Kagome."

"I'm Kita," the girl replied. "Do you think it would be okay if I came to see you at Uncle Miroku and Aunt Sango's?"

"It's fine with me." Kagome replied. "But Inuyasha…"

"I'll worry about him later," Kita said. "See you soon." Kagome nodded and walked on.

Inuyasha heard Kagome say that she was going to be staying with Sango and Miroku before he busied himself with sweeping the floor of his home so he wouldn't have to hear her voice anymore. "Nineteen years," he whispered to himself. It had been nineteen years since Kagome had last been with him. In all fairness, it was his own fault that she had gone back home in the first place, but she'd promised to come back.

Kita came back into the hut with her completed basket soon after. "Are you alright, Papa?" she asked.

Inuyasha grunted and continued his sweeping. "Where's your brother?" he snapped.

Kita rolled her eyes. "How am I supposed to know?" she retorted. "He said something about going into the next village."

"He'd better be back before nightfall." Inuyasha said. "I've told that boy about hanging out at all hours of the night gawking at the village girls. He gets more and more like Miroku every damn day."

"Papa, are you okay?" Kita asked.

"I'm fine!" Inuyasha growled. "I'm going for a walk. Get dinner started." With that, the half demon stormed from the hut. Kita shook her head and set about preparing dinner.

Meanwhile, Kagome had made it to Sango and Miroku's home. She had asked a villager where they lived. It seemed that everyone in town knew of the fallen monk and his demon slayer wife. Even more, they knew of the couple's two sons and one beautiful daughter.

Kagome took a deep breath and prepared to knock on the door of the hut when someone burst the door open. "Come back have you?" shouted the man. "You will leave immediately or suffer my wrath."

"Miroku?" Kagome inquired, slightly shocked. The monk hadn't changed much, his hair had grown a little longer and he'd released it from its usual strict ponytail. Now his blue eyes blazed with anger and he was brandishing his staff like sword.

At the sound of Kagome's voice, he looked at her. "Kagome?" he breathed. "Is it really you?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes, I've come back. And I'm sorry that it took so long and I'll completely understand if you never want to speak to me again-" she was cut off by Miroku throwing his arms around her.

"Kagome! I knew you would return!" Miroku exclaimed. He squeezed her once more and then let her go. "How did you know where to find us?"

"The villagers all know where you live." Kagome replied. She eyed the staff that Miroku was still holding. "Did I come at a bad time or something?"

Miroku leaned the staff against the hut. "No, I thought that you might have been another one of those village brats after my Kikara. She got her mother's good looks and every male in this village seems to know it." He shook his head. "But never mind that, come in. Sango will be overjoyed to see you, and you can meet the children." He took his old friend by the hand and led her inside. "Sango, come see who I found outside."

The demon slayer came around the corner. "Not another village boy I hope." She stopped dead when she saw who was accompanying her husband. "Kagome?"

Sango looked almost exactly the same as she had when Kagome had left. Her face was a little older, perhaps, but other than that, she was the same. "Sango!" Kagome cried and ran to her friend. The two embraced fiercely.

"Hey, how come I didn't get hugged like that?" Miroku joked. He shook his head as his wife and friend cried in each other's arms and went to find his children and Inuyasha's son.

Miroku didn't have long to look. Both his and Inuyasha's sons were outside sparring and his daughter was watching. "Hey, you four," he called. "Come inside for a moment, there's someone that you all should meet. Immediately, they stopped fighting and followed Miroku back inside to where Sango and Kagome were sitting on the floor talking.

"Oh, good, you found them, Miroku," Sango said. "All of you, this is Kagome. She is a dear friend. Miroku, Inuyasha and I all knew her long before any of you were born." She turned back to Kagome. "These are the kids." She pointed out her two sons and daughter. "Keigi and Sanosuke, our sons, and Kikara, our daughter." The boys looked a lot like their father and the young woman was very beautiful. "And that," Sango continued, pointing to the remaining young man, "is Inuyasha's son Taisho."

Kagome's eyes widened as she looked at Inuyasha's second child. He had his father's long silver hair and dog-ears, but those eyes were Kikyo's. There was no doubt about it now. Inuyasha had started a family with Kikyo - just as he'd always wanted to.

A/N: I haven't written an Inuyasha fic in ages. But this idea struck me and I want it to be really good. So I went out and got myself a beta reader. So thanks to Roses of Sharon for all her help on this.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Things were progressing well as the late afternoon depended to night. Sango and Miroku were overjoyed that Kagome was going to spend her time in the Feudal Era with them and they assured her that Inuyasha would come around eventually.

The four teenagers were talking on their own when Taisho, Inuyasha's eighteen year old son, looked out the window. "Damn," he swore. "It's night already. My old man's going to pulverize me. I've gotta get home."

Miroku looked up. "I'll accompany you Tai." He said. "I'd very much like a chance to speak with your father."

Taisho nodded. "Thanks Uncle Miroku. Maybe he'll be less likely to kill me if you're there."

"I doubt it." Sango and Kagome countered in unison.

Miroku and Tai walked out of the hut and into the night. Once they were a good distance from the hut, Taisho turned to his uncle. "Why does that woman look so much like my mother?" he asked bluntly. "I know you know."

Miroku sighed. "Yes, I know. But it is not my story to tell. Only your father can make this clear for you. And before he can do that, he has to make it clear for himself."

Tai rolled his eyes. "Well that will take forever."

Miroku silently agreed. Inuyasha would no doubt be stubborn about not seeing Kagome for a long time. That was just who the half demon was. Plus he was still hurting. Taisho gulped as they neared the hut that he lived in.

"What do you mean he isn't back yet?" Inuyasha was roaring inside.

Miroku rolled his eyes at his friend's predictable temper. "Calm down Inuyasha. Tai is right here."

Inuyasha faced his friend. "And where's he been all this time?" he demanded.

"I was with Uncle Miroku and Aunt Sango." Taisho replied. "I lost track of time, that's all."

"I suppose _she_ is at your place." Inuyasha said to Miroku. "Keep her there. I don't want to see her. And I don't want my kids around her either."

"I can't confine her to the hut Inuyasha." Miroku fired back. "She knows this place as well as we do. Would it hurt to just talk to her?"

"She's dead to me." The half demon muttered.

"So is Kikyo." Miroku responded softly. "I'll see you later Taisho, Kita." The monk walked out of the hut and Inuyasha scowled at his retreating back.

"Papa?" Kita asked gently.

"Stay here, both of you. I'm going for a walk." He strode out quickly.

Kita sighed and her brother glanced at her. "He just came back from a walk." She explained. "It has something to do with that Kagome woman who was here earlier. He knows her from somewhere."

"So you met her too." Tai said. He plopped down on the floor and grabbed some of the food that Kita had prepared. "Uncle Miroku said that she is an old friend of theirs from before we were born. I guess this Kagome and Father must have been close."

"Guess so." Kita replied. "You noticed right? How much she looks like Ma?"

Taisho nodded. "That has to be relevant." He crammed a grilled fish into his mouth. "Aunt Sango and Uncle Miroku will probably be too wary of Father's temper to say anything though." Tai reminded his sister through a mouthful of food.

Kita rolled her eyes in disgust but then grinned. "Shippo won't be though." She murmured. "We could go ask him."

"You're brilliant Kita." Tai exclaimed. "We'd better not risk going tonight. With all the walking Father is doing, he'll probably sleep in tomorrow. Let's head over in the morning."

"Sounds good." Kita agreed.

Both of his pups were in bed when Inuyasha got back from his walk. He'd gone over to the old well to think. But everything there carried so many memories. The half demon was emotionally exhausted when he got back home, so he banked the fire and went to sleep.

The next morning, both Kita and Taisho rose with the sun. They slipped past their father's still sleeping form and out into the pale new day sunlight. Shippo lived over the hill with his mate Soten, the last of the Thunder Demon Tribe.

Tai stretched and then grinned at his sister. "I'll race you there." He said. Kita was off and running before he'd even finished speaking. "Hey no fair!" he called after her and hurried to catch up. The two flew across the village startling the people who were out, working and starting their days. Once the villagers confirmed that it was just Inuyasha's kids, they went back to their tasks. It had become the norm to see one or both of the half demons running through the village.

Kita crested the hill first, her long black hair flying out behind her. She slid to a stop and waited for her brother to reach her. Tai made it a few moments later. "Damn…you…Kita." He huffed. "You…cheated."

The girl ducked her head to hide her smile. "Sorry Tai. I'm just faster I suppose." She looked out over the horizon to the hut that belonged to Shippo and Soten. "Let's go." Kita urged.

"Can we walk this time?" Taisho asked with a grimace.

Kita patted her brother's cheek. "Anything for you Tai." She said with a laugh. The two siblings headed down the hill towards the home of their godfather. Shippo had been with their father for years before they were born and stayed friends with him years after. He was their godfather and one of the closest friends of their family. He also could care less about Inuyasha's attitude problems. So if they were going to get information from anyone, it would be Shippo.

They reached the hut and Taisho knocked on the wooden door. Seconds later it was opened by Soten. She smiled when she saw who was at the door. "Tai, Kita. What brings you by this early in the morning?"

They both smiled at the young thunder demon and hugged her. "We were wondering if we could talk to Shippo." Kita explained. "Papa's been acting…well…strange lately and we think that Shippo can give us answers."

Soten nodded. "Well he's still asleep. I'll get him for you, it's time he was up anyway." She let the two half demons into the hut and grabbed a bucket of water that was sitting by the door. Tai and Kita exchanged a look. From the other room was the sound of a splash and a yelp.

"Soten!" screeched Shippo. His voice had deepened over the years, but not by much.

His mate giggled. "Time to get up Shippo! You have visitors." She marched past Kita and Tai with a maniacal grin on her face. "He'll be through in a minute." With that Soten went out to tend to the garden.

Shippo appeared moments later, dripping wet and scowling. The fox demon had grown about two feet over the years, so he was still short. He'd let his hair grow out and tied it back into a ponytail. He smiled when he saw his god kids were his visitors.

"Um, sorry about the wake up, Shippo." Kita offered. "For the record we had no idea she was going to do that."

The fox shrugged. "It's happened before. What do you two need?"

Taisho squatted down to Shippo's level. "Shippo, we need you to tell us about the old days." That was how everyone always referred to the time when Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were hunting for the jewel shards. "We'd ask Uncle Miroku, but you are the only one who isn't wary of Father's temper."

Shippo nodded sagely. "Yes, I am practically immune to the buffoon's temper tantrums. What do you want to know?"

"Everything you know about Papa and a woman named Kagome." Kita told him.

"How do you guys know about Kagome?" Shippo wanted to know. "I thought Inuyasha was pretending that she never existed."

"Well we met her yesterday and Father got upset and-"

"Kagome is _here_?!" The fox shouted. "Where is she?"

"At Aunt Sango and Uncle Miroku's place." Tai said. "Why is this Kagome person so damned important to everyone?" he demanded.

Shippo sat down and motioned for the half demons to do the same. "Let me tell you a story." He began. "You know all about how Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and I killed out arch nemesis and put the fragments of the shattered Shikon Jewel back together, right?" Tai and Kita nodded. They'd heard those tales all their lives. "Well there's more to that tale. Inuyasha always made us leave Kagome out of what we told you two, Keigi, Sano, and Kikara. But she is such an important part." He quickly explained about how Kikyo and Inuyasha had been tricked all those years ago and how Kagome had freed Inuyasha from Kikyo's spell. He told them how Kagome melted Inuyasha's heart and how together they defeated Naraku.

"With Naraku gone, the completed Jewel was entrusted to Kagome. She was the only one with the power to purify it." Shippo said. "Once it was free of all darkness she gave it to Inuyasha." He shook his head. "That was so long ago..."

_Inuyasha looked into Kagome's eyes as she held the now pure Jewel out to him. "Kagome…" he whispered. She had done so much for him. She had been the one in the thick of battle, backing him up as they took down Naraku. It was only her arrow that kept the wretched demon from piercing him with a deadly tentacle. Now she was offering Inuyasha the one thing that he'd wanted for so long._

_"Take it Inuyasha." Kagome said with a smile. "You've worked so hard to get it. You should have it."_

_The half demon looked at his friends. "But you guys…don't you…?"_

_Kagome shook her head. "We talked about it. The rest of us have what we need. Sango and Miroku found each other and Shippo found a family."_

_"And you? What did you find Kagome?" Inuyasha wanted to know._

_The girl smiled. "Everything I always wanted. Besides, you're always coming to our rescue and dealing with our issues. You deserve this." She placed the Jewel in his hand and curled his fingers around it. "Wish for what you truly want."_

_It wasn't until later that night when everyone was sleeping off the fatigue of battle that Inuyasha decided what he wanted to wish for. It seemed that everyone had what they needed now. But there was one person who never even had a chance to claim her wants. One person who was lost to the greed of the Jewel and had never found peace. "I wish," Inuyasha murmured to the glowing orb in his hands. "I wish that Kikyo could have a second chance." _

_He closed his amber eyes as a strange and unnatural wind picked up and blew across the clearing where he and his friends were camped. The half demon lay down to sleep, never noticing that Kagome had heard everything, or the sobs that racked her body for hours into the night._

A/N: Okay so now we have a little bit of the back-story thanks to Shippo. There will be more of these flashbacks in later chapters. Please review.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Kita was furious. "He never told us." She whispered dangerously. Taisho could see the anger brewing behind his sister's deep amber eyes. "Our mother was…and he never even…"

Taisho closed his eyes. When Kita didn't finish sentences then there was cause to worry. "Maybe he thought it was for the best." He reasoned. "We wouldn't have wanted to know about her being dead before when we were kids."

"That may be true, but we are not children anymore Taisho. We had a right to know." There were tears in her eyes as she stood up and stomped to the door. "He had no right to keep this from us."

"Kita." Tai said warningly. He stood up to follow her. "Shippo, Kagome is staying with Uncle Miroku and Aunt Sango. Could you go and tell them all that Kita' s on the warpath." Shippo agreed and Taisho sprinted after his sister.

She was faster when she was angry. The young woman was halfway across the village before Taisho caught sight of her. He reached their home seconds after she did nonetheless and watched helplessly as she slammed her way into the hut.

Inuyasha looked up startled. "Where have you two been?"

"You had no right." Kita told him.

"What are you on about Kita?"

"You revived a corpse to be our mother and never told us!" the girl wailed. "How could you do that?"

The half demon glared at his daughter. "Who told you about that?"

"It doesn't matter! _You _should have! Is that why she died when we were little? Because she was already supposed to be dead?"

Inuyasha hung his head. "Yes." He whispered. "Did you find out anymore of my dirty past? How many innocent people I've slaughtered perhaps?"

Tai gave his father a disgusted look. "Don't joke Father." Dark brown eyes met amber ones until the son looked away. "Kagome." He said.

"Of course. Kagome." Inuyasha closed his eyes and tried to keep his temper in check. When he opened him, Kita was staring at him, her eyes filled with tears. "Kita… No crying."

The girl shook her head. "I just want to understand." She whispered. "Why? If you loved this Kagome, why did you revive Mother? Why did you condemn us to live motherless lives?"

"Things got out of control." Inuyasha explained. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Kagome got the wrong idea and I was too stubborn to bring her back. I…it's my fault I suppose, but she just left and…" Inuyasha trailed off and pulled at his hair. "It wasn't supposed to end the way it did…"

_The day after Inuyasha made the wish was rainy and stormy. The half demon and his friends rushed quickly to the shelter of Kaede's home. Miroku stared at the slate gray sky with a worried look. "An omen of new danger to come perhaps?" he mused._

_"Keh." Inuyasha scoffed. "Then we'll do them just like we did Naraku."_

_Sango and Miroku exchanged an amused glance. The impetuous half demon had obviously forgotten how long it had taken them to kill their nemesis. The demon slayer turned to Kagome with concern. The girl had been unnaturally quiet all day. "Are you alright Kagome? You aren't injured badly are you?"_

_Kagome shook her head. "No. I'm fine Sango, really."_

_"You better be." Inuyasha said firmly. "We've got nothing to worry about from now on." Kagome shot him a withering glare and stomped into Kaede's large hut. _

_She stopped dead when she saw who was inside sitting with Kaede. "Kikyo." It was indeed the once dead priestess. It seemed as if Inuyasha's wish had come true. There were no longer masses of soul collectors surrounding the woman and she had lost the stench of death. The Shikon Jewel had done its job and done it well._

_"What'd you stop for?" Inuyasha groused as he tried to get through the door Kagome was blocking, getting soaked. "Move you silly girl."_

_"Oh excuse me Inuyasha." Kagome shouted hysterically. "I'm so very sorry for separating you from the girl you obviously want to be with."_

_Inuyasha looked at her quizzically. Then he caught sight of Kikyo over Kagome's shoulder. "Kikyo…" he breathed. "It…it worked?"_

_"Yes Inuyasha. It worked and I can take a hint!" Kagome screeched. She hefted her backpack and stormed out into the tempestuous morning. _

_"Inuyasha you didn't." Sango said mournfully. _

_The half demon stared after Kagome. "It's not like that." He tried to explain. "I didn't bring her back for me. I brought her back so she could have a chance to live in a world where the Jewel doesn't exist. I didn't…I love Kagome." It was the first time he had said it aloud and everyone paused and took notice. Even Kikyo._

_"I cannot live in a world without you, Inuyasha. I made that decision long before that girl came into your life. I will cease to exist if you leave me." Kikyo said uncharacteristically. "I have seen what we could have if we were to be together. That is the life I came back to lead." _

_Inuyasha lowered his eyes. "I…I need to think." He said and ran off._

Meanwhile at Sango and Miroku's, Shippo and Kagome were sharing a tear-filled reunion.

"I can't get over how much you've grown up Shippo." Kagome kept exclaiming. "I've missed so much."

"That's what happens when you disappear for nineteen years." Shippo reminded her.

"I know." Kagome replied. "I should have come back but… I was so angry with him."

"What exactly did you do for all these years Kagome?" Sango asked.

Kagome flushed. "I became a writer actually. I'm a bestseller in my time."

"What did you write about?"

"Us actually. I changed the names a bit but basically I turned our adventures into a series of books for young adults."

"So at least you got something out of all the time you wasted here." A voice snarled from the door. Kagome spun around and saw Inuyasha staring at her; his amber eyes alight with anger and something more.

"I-I wouldn't say it was wasted." She murmured. Kagome stared at her former friend. If it was possible, the years had done nothing to change him. He looked so much like he'd used to that it was almost as if Kagome had never left. "Hi, Inuyasha." Kagome whispered.

"What are you doing here?" the half demon demanded. He was upset. He wasn't ready to face her just yet, but Kita had forced him to come with her tears. Inuyasha hated seeing his daughter cry. It brought back too many bad memories.

"I said I would come back." Kagome was saying. "It just took longer than expected." She was quiet for a minute. Then, "So I see you and Kikyo got busy once I was out of the way."

Inuyasha's face hardened. "Don't talk about her." He spat. "_She _stayed with me. _She _was always by my side."

That wasn't what Kagome wanted to hear. "Yeah well she's now she's gone. Again." She replied harshly, immediately regretting her words when she saw Inuyasha's face.

"It's my fault." The half demon muttered.

"It always is." Kagome told him, too far in to back down. She stood up and left the hut.

"Two minutes and they're already fighting." Sango said and shook her head.

"Just like old times." Shippo added.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Kagome stormed off, not really paying attention to whee her feet were taking her. Before she knew it, she was at the well. She collapsed beside it and cried. It was so ironic. This was exactly what happened when she left nineteen years ago...

_Kagome bent over the well, her tears streamed from her eyes and down into the abyss. She couldn't understand it. Inuyasha had been so nice to her lately. They'd even shared a kiss in celebration of Naraku's demise. So why? Why would he wish for Kikyo? Kagome took a shuddering breath and stood up right. To her surprise, Inuyasha was there staring at her. _

_"Don't cry." the half demon murmured. "Please."_

_"Why shouldn't I?" Kagome snapped. "I love you Inuyasha. But you chose her."_

_"I..."Inuyasha began. "I didn't...It wasn't..." He couldn't bring himself to tell Kagome how he felt about her._

_"Just stop Inuyasha." the girl said. "I'm going home. Naraku and the the Jewel are gone, thanks to you. You obviously don't need me anymore." She climbed into the well._

_"Wait Kagome!" cried the half demon. "Will you come back? I need you to come back."_

_Kagome studied his face and then nodded. "I'll come back. I promise."_

_"I'll wait." Inuyasha whispered as he watched her drop down into the darkness._

Now Kagome looked up and saw silver headed half demon standing over her. It wasn't Inuyasha, but rather his son. "Taisho." she murmured. "You shouldn't be here. Your father..."

"Will be alright." he interjected. "He sent me to, and I quote 'male sure that she doesn't run away again' end quote."

"I thought that he would want me to leave." Kagome said.

Tai chuckled. "He doesn't know what he wants. Never has. Kita is too young to remember, but I saw it. Father loved our mother, but he wasn't happy. It was almost like he wanted something else but couldn't have it, so he settled for what he _could_ have."

"He didn't want me." Kagome assured him.

"I think he might have." Tai countered. "There's a passion about him now that you're here."

Back at Sango and Miroku's, Inuyasha was being berated by his friends. "Do you just not know what you want?" the former monk demanded. "You used to moan about how much you missed Kagome, but now that she's back you treat her badly. Make up your mind Inuyasha."

The half demon growled at him, but he knew that Miroku was right. He wanted Kagome and he always had. He loved Kikyo, but he wasn't happy with her.

_Inuyasha looked up from where he was playing with his two small children. Their mother, Kikyo was standing there with an expectant look on her face. "Inuyasha," she began. "It is nearly time for dinner and there are no fish. I promised the villagers fresh food tonight."_

_The half demon rolled his eyes. Sometimes he wondered if his woman cared more about the villagers than she did her family. "Fine, I'm going." Inuyasha acquiesced. "Can you take the brats inside?"_

_Kikyo shook her head. "I have to go help a woman deliver her baby. I'm sure you can handle __them."_

_"Alright, I'll just take them with me." Inuyasha said through gritted teeth. Kikyo nodded and patted his arm. That was the most she'd touched him since they had conceived Kita four years prior. The girl burbled happily as her father scooped her up. Seven year old Taisho looked at Inuyasha._

_"Are you okay Father?" he inquired._

_"Yep." Inuyasha replied. "Just remembering how trying it is being with a priestess." Not all of them though, Inuyasha thought. Kagome wasn't like that. She was so full of warmth and compassion. Not all cold and distant like Kikyo._

_Later that night, after the kids were asleep, Inuyasha turned to his woman. "How are the villagers doing?" he asked, trying to make conversation._

_Kikyo turned startled eyes to him. "Why would you ask of such matters?" she wanted to know. "I am their priestess. They are my responsibility." _

_Inuyasha shrugged. "Figured I'd ask. We're together and all." He was remembering how he and Kagome would always talk about their days when they were apart. She would tell him about what went on at school and he would talk about what the gang did while waiting for her to return. Though he'd never admit it, Inuyasha enjoyed that level of communication. He shook his head to clear it of old memories and turned to Kikyo again. She was already asleep with her back to him._

Inuyasha came back to the present to find Miroku poking him in the head with his staff. "You need to talk to her." he said.

"Yeah well she's mad at me now." The half demon protested. "And I ain't got another nineteen years to wait for her to get over it."

"So apologize." Sango snapped. "Inuyasha there's been such a change in you over the years." she touched his shoulder. "You love her and you've gentled. Show her that."

Inuyasha sighed, that was easier said than done. he felt a hand on his arm and turned around to look into the eyes of his daughter, so much like his own. "Kita." He murmured. "I'm...sorry. I should've told you and Tai the truth."

Miroku, Sango, and Shippo exchanged surprised looks. When did Inuyasha ever admit he was wrong. Kita shook her head. "Papa it's okay. I understand now. If you love Kagome then you should be with her. Just go talk to her Papa."

"Stop being so damned stubborn." Shippo ordered. "You know you want her."

"Alright, alright!" Inuyasha exclaimed. "Quit yapping at me. I'll talk to her." he paused for a moment. "Where is she?"

"Right here Father." Taisho said as he entered the hut with Kagome in tow.

Inuyasha got up and went over to her. His amber eyes were somber and his face was apologetic. "Can we go somewhere and talk Kagome?"

She nodded. "I guess we need to. You aren't going to yell at me again are you?" the girl asked warily. The half demon shook his head and started to lead her to his home. Kagome looked around with interest. "Things haven't really changed that much have they?"

"Old Kaede died not long after Taisho was born and Kikyo wasn't one for change." Inuyasha explained. "Since I was Kikyo's mate and she was their priestess, I'm sort of the headman of the village. I leave 'em alone and let them do as they've always done."

"Wow, you're the headman. That's...strange." Kagome replied. "You've plundered these people before. Though I suppose you've saved them as well."

The half demon rolled his eyes. "So are _we_ going to talk or are you going to talk to yourself this whole time?"

"What happened to not yelling at me?" Kagome teased. The look on Inuyasha's face made her see how hard this was for him. "Alright, let's talk."

A/N: So Inuyasha and Kagome are going to have "the talk" next chapter. There will also be some more flashbacks from Kagome's time in her era and we'll see the birth of Taisho. Review!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: So I lied. We won't see Tai's birth in this chapter. But we see when he's conceived.

Chapter 5

Kagome was sitting the middle of Inuyasha's large home. He'd had the hut made bigger once the kids got older. They just needed more space. The half demon was sitting facing her, staring into her dark eyes. Neither spoke, though both wanted to break the silence. There was so much that they needed to say to each other, but neither of then could find the will to start. Just when Kagome could stand it no longer, Inuyasha opened his mouth.

"You look good." he said. Kagome's eyes widened. A compliment from Inuyasha? "I mean you're old right?" the half demon rushed on. "You look a hell of a lot better than Kaede did."

"I'm not _that_ old." Kagome replied. "Besides, we can't all stay young like you and Sesshomaru." That sparked a question. "Where is Sesshomaru?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "He's around. He moved into our father's old place permanently and took that girl who was always tagging along behind him to be his mate."

"_Rin?"_ Kagome exclaimed. "But she's just a child."

"So are you, in Sesshomaru's eyes. Besides, Kagura died and he killed Jaken ten years ago. Rin's all the bastard's got left. I suppose it helps that she grew up good."

The woman shook her head. "Things have changed." she murmured. "I'm sorry I was away for so long Inuyasha."

So, they were finally going to get to the matter at hand. Inuyasha swallowed and asked the question that he'd wanted to know for years. "Why didn't you come back?"

"I..." Kagome faltered. "I wanted to. I was so mad at you though. I felt so stupid for allowing myself to fall in love with you when I knew that it would never work. Everyday for the first year I thought about coming back. Naraku's death blew the space between our times wide open. I could've come back at anytime. But I was too afraid. Everyday I knew you would be with Kikyo, and I didn't want to see that. So I kept putting it off and eventually, nineteen years passed..."

_The morning after Kagome returned to her time was one of the hardest that she had ever faced. All she wanted to do was crawl under her covers and stay there forever. The first part was going okay until her mother shouted her name up the stairs. _

_Kagome dragged herself out of bed and down the stairs. Her family was so proud of her. All they knew was that Naraku was dead and the Jewel was complete. They were so happy to have her home alive after the epic battle._

_"Is that girl going to sleep all day?" She heard her grandfather ask. "It's nearly noon."_

_"She's probably tired." Her mother replied. "I'm sure that whatever she went through the other day took a lot out of her."_

_"I wish she would have brought Inuyasha back with her." Sota said. "He could have showed me the cool moves that he used to beat up that monster." When Inuyasha's name was said Kagome stopped. It was as if a fist had reached inside her chest and was squeezing her heart as if to crush it. They had been so close, and now he was probably out of her reach forever. She shook her head. No, it wouldn't do to think like that. Maybe he was just trying to give Kikyo a fair chance at living. But then, __why wouldn't he just tell her that? Kagome decided to just wait a while and let the half demon make up his mind._

_Little did the girl know that Inuyasha had already made up his mind. He waited by the well everyday for a month, avoiding Kikyo until he could talk to Kagome. Sango and Miroku had left to tie up the loose ends of their lives now that Naraku was gone. They were both planning to move to the village and start the rest of their lives. Still Inuyasha waited. Sesshomaru even came to congratulate his brother on finally killing the wretched demon. Inuyasha barely heard the words he said. Two months passed and Kikyo got tired of being ignored._

_She came to sit beside the half demon one day as he sat and watched the well. "She isn't coming back." the once dead priestess intoned. Inuyasha didn't reply, so Kikyo continued. "If she truly loved you she would have returned already and forgiven you. If you truly loved her then you would have gone to her and apologized for making a mistake. But she didn't, and you didn't, because you both know, like I do, that this isn't a mistake. We're meant to be, Inuyasha. You're meant to be with me, not my reincarnation."_

_Inuyasha turned blank golden eyes to the woman. Of course he still loved Kikyo. There was no denying that. "This just makes your decision that much easier." said a nasty little part of him. "You loved them both, but now you only have one. There's no choice to make." He shook his head. What if Kagome came back?"She won't." Replied what he liked to think of as his inner demon._

_"Don't you love me anymore, Inuyasha?" Kikyo asked mournfully._

_"'Course I do." the half demon whispered. He leaned forward and kissed her. He had waited for __Kagome, like he said he would. But she had not come back. His options were now to remain miserable and long for her, or try to move on with a willing woman that he loved anyway. Inuyasha chose the latter, and they conceived Taisho that night. _

Kagome had tears in her eyes as Inuyasha recounted the tale of how he had moved on from her and back to Kikyo. It saddened her to know that she could have had Inuyasha, that maybe Kita's black hair could have come from her and Taisho could have had her eyes. But it was too late for that now. She realized that Inuyasha had asked her a question. "Could you repeat that?" she asked him.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "I said what made you decide to come back now, after all these years? If you thought that Kikyo and I were together earlier, you had to assume that we would be even closer by now."

"It was a risk I had to take." Kagome whispered.

_"Here's to Kagome!" The shout rang out through the large apartment building that Kagome shared with her friend Eri and her brother Sota. The final book in her bestselling series had come out on the day of Kagome's thirty-fifth birthday and all her friends had gotten together to throw her a party. Sota was already drunk and trying to hit on his sister's college friends. _

_Eri dodged the man's arms and came to sit beside Kagome. "So, guess who's here?" she taunted._

_"I don't know. Maybe half of our class at Tokyo U and every guy we've ever known?" Kagome replied sarcastically. She had always hated parties. At least this one was more low key than the bash they'd thrown when Kagome had become a Tokyo Times Bestseller._

_"Close." Eri answered back. "Hojo's here and he is looking good!"_

_"So go talk to him." Kagome responded. She had tried dating Hojo for a bit in her senior year of high school, but she found that she would always compare him to her first and only love, and that wasn't fair. So she'd broken it off. She hadn't dated anyone since then (though there were a series of flings in college) and her friends were worried that she was going to end up an old maid._

_"Kagome," Eri was scolding in exasperation. "You haven't had a date in forever," Kagome opened her mouth to protest, but was cut off. "I _know _you've been busy. But the series is over and you're not getting any younger. It's time to strike before all of the eligible men are gone."_

_Kagome rolled her eyes. If she wasn't getting this speech from Eri, it was from Yuka. She knew they had her best interests at heart, but it was already too late for her. "Whatever Eri." Kagome fired back. "Maybe you should worry about snagging your own man from the ever shrinking pool." She plastered a fake smile on her face and mingled around the party, careful to stay away from Hojo. _

_At nearly five in the morning the party finally ended. All the guests headed to their cars or to call taxis. Eri and Sota promised that they would clean up later and stumbled off to their respective rooms. Kagome changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed herself. She couldn't sleep though. Every time she closed her eyes she saw Inuyasha's face before her. Hurt and anger etched into his skin. It had been years since Kagome had thought about him this much. Her work had kept her too busy. But now the series was over, as Eri had said. What was there to keep regretful memories from taking over her once more?_

_Finally giving up on sleep, Kagome got out of her bed and crossed to her closet. She pulled on a __pair of jeans and a fitted t-shirt. She slipped her feet into a pair of sandals and headed out into the warm October night._

_She crossed town to her childhood home. Gramps had died five years previous and her mother was on vacation. The house was empty, so Kagome took her key and let herself in. Things were pretty much the same as they'd been when they had all lived there. Kagome went up to her room and crossed to her dresser. Inside were all the things that she didn't want to have at her apartment. Most were pictures from her childhood, things she had made, and things she had collected from the Feudal Era. She dug past all that and found what she wanted. It was a picture that had been taken long ago. _

_Inuyasha was lying on the grass in the park near Kagome's house. He had on the hat that he wore when he was in her time and he was grinning. Kagome herself was sitting beside him smiling as well. Sota had taken that picture about a week before they had battled Naraku for the final time. They had been so happy then. _

_Kagome stared at Inuyasha's face for a long time. She hadn't realized how much she missed him until this moment. She wanted nothing more than to hear him laugh or make some off color comment. She wanted nothing more than him._

_Thrusting the picture into her pocket, Kagome stood up quickly. She ran down the stairs and out of the house, pausing only to lock the door behind her. She sprinted to the old well house and flung the doors aside. There it was, the Bone Eaters Well. Kagome sucked in a breath, walked over to the well, and jumped in. _

_It wasn't until she had traveled through the void and landed safely on the other side, that __Kagome realized what she had done. But she was not about to turn back._

**A/N: So I know that this chapter was mostly flashback, but this is info that had to get out. Next chapter will be more Inuyasha and Kagome and will have less back story. After all, we have to look to their future together as well. Thank you all so much for the reviews. I love knowing that you guys are enjoying this.**


	6. Author's note

Author's Note:

Sorry this isn't an actual chapter but there are a few things that I need to address. First off yes, Inuyasha and Kagome will eventually end up together. But, in true Inu/Kag style, it will take them a while to get out of each other's way and admit their feelings.

Second, I'm going on Spring Break at the end of this week and I'll be away from the internet for a while. But I hope to get some good writing done over the break and I'll post whatever i've written when I get back to school from break. I'm in the middle of chapter six now and I'll try to get that up before I leave on Saturday.

Last I want to thank every one who has reviewed this story. You don't know how much I love coming back to the dorm after a hard day of classes and work and finding my inbox flooded with something other than junk mail. I'm so glad that you're all liking this. It makes putting off homework to write chapters worth it. Atleast until I get my midterm grades that is... But we'll worry about that later. For now i'll keep writing and you guyd keep reading and reviewing!

Blessed be,

Nakeva Rapp Cullen


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

They were past all pretenses and evasions now. There was nothing left to hide from, and all that was left was them telling the truth about everything. Both of them became sadder as their conversation wore on. Inuyasha was sad that Kagome had never found anyone to love because of his betrayal. Kagome, that Inuyasha spent years being unhappy with his life.

"So you're a big name in your era, huh?" the half demon asked after a while.

Kagome shrugged. "I guess so. My series about us ended a few days ago though."

"Can you stay for a while then?" Inuyasha asked a bit meekly.

"Sure."

At Sango and Miroku's home. Kita and Tai were filling Sanosuke, Keigi, and Kikara in on what was going on. Eighteen year old Keigi whistled. "Wow thats incredible."

"Are they going to get together?" Soft spoken Kikara wanted to know.

Kita shrugged. "I don't know. It might be hard for Papa to open his heart again. he locked it up after Ma died.

The subject of Kikyo's death was brought up by Kagome next. "Kita told me that she died when she was five. What happened?"

Inuyasha lowered his eyes. "Like I said, it was my fault. I knew she would die eventually. Midoriko told me to be prepared for it."

"Midoriko?"

"Yeah she came to me in a dream after Kikyo and I...well you know. She told me that because Kikyo had been living on time that wasn't hers to live, she wouldn't be able to exist in this world for that much longer. Then she asked me if I could abide with that."

"And you said yes." Kagome replied flatly, it wasn't a question.

Inuyasha nodded. "I must have murmured it in my sleep. But it was a yes. I would have made the same decision if I had been awake. I felt like I needed her, I didn't want to be alone in this world and Kikyo was willing wanted to be with me."

"_I _wanted to be with you." Kagome whispered.

"It's too late for those words now Kagome." Inuyasha responded.

"Is it?" Kagome was getting upset now, and when she got upset she got a bit hysterical. "How could I stay Inuyasha? I watched you chase after Kikyo so many times. My only comfort was the fact that she was dead. Then you went and brought her back and didn't explain why! What was I supposed to think?"

"You were supposed to come back and let me explain!" the half demon shouted. "I loved you!"

"Why couldn't you just _say_ so? Why didn't you come to me and tell me that?"

"Because _you _said that you'd come back!"

"Inuyasha, a relationship takes effort on both parts. I couldn't be the only one fighting to keep us together. You had to do some work too!" Kagome screamed.

Inuyasha gaped. That was exactly how he had felt with Kikyo. Like he was the only one who was trying to hold them together. It hit him like a ton of bricks. He had taken Kagome for granted, just as Kikyo had done to him. All he felt for Kikyo now was loss and lingering resentment, but here was Kagome, ready to love him once again. "Kagome." he whispered in wonder. "I never knew, I'm so sorry."

"What?"

"I've taken you for granted. I took your feelings for granted and I just realized it."

"I learned to deal with it." Kagome answered.

"I suppose I did too. It was so frustrating though."

Kagome gave him a sad smile. "It's even harder when you're being taken for granted by the person you want most in the world."

"I'm sorry Kagome."

"You've changed." the woman noted. "When I first met you, and even for a while after, you would have cared less about hurting my feelings. What happened to you?"

"Being a father, I guess." the half demon told her. "You have to care about your kid's feelings, and Kikyo wasn't really that involved them. It fell to me to care."

"I thought Kikyo loved kids." Kagome said, puzzled.

Inuyasha snorted. "Yeah, the village kids. She hardly had time for Taisho and Kita."

"Or you." Kagome added.

"Or me." Inuyasha agreed. "When Kikyo died I decided to stay alone and just focus on raising my kids."

Kagome chuckled. "Seems like a popular decision, staying alone. I dated a bit, but it wasn't the same, not even close."

"Why not?" Inuyasha wanted to know.

"Well, Hojo was always really nice to me for one. He never called me 'wench' even once." Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "But I couldn't stay with him because he wasn't you."

"Kagome, I still love you, I do. But I don't know if I can go through this again. I-I shut my heart when Kikyo died and said I wouldn't love another woman. I don't know if I can take that back."

"What if I'm willing to try Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. "What if I'm willing to put all our issues of the past behind us and try to do this? Will you try with me?"

Inuyasha was silent for a moment, thinking. If he said no and refused to try again he'd be safe. He could continue to live as he had for years. But, if he said yes, if he tried, he could finally have Kagome and live the life that he'd wanted to live for nineteen years. He took a deep breath and finally answered. "Yeah, I'll try."

A/N: Okay so Inuyasha and Kagome are going to try to work on it. I think we can all see how hard this is going to be for them. There are also some unanswered questions floating around. What's going on with Sesshomaru and Rin? How about Koga, Ayame, Ginta, and Hakkaku? And when will Inuyasha introduce Kagome to his _sister_? All very important questions, I think. Anyway these will addressed in upcoming chapters. I'm going to _try_ to get one more chapter up before I leave for break since I don't have any exams or anything. Keep your fingers crossed loyal readers!


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Kagome made the decision to stay in the Feudal Era until she and Inuyasha could finally make their relationship work and then decide what to do after that. Four days after she had arrived, she was preparing to go back to her time to gather the things that she would need for an extended stay with Inuyasha.

Shippo, Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha were all clustered around the well to see her off. It was just like the old days. "And you promise you'll come back this time Kagome?" Miroku said for what had to be the sixtieth time.

"Yes." Kagome replied, laughing. "I promise I'll be back."

"Feh." Inuyasha scoffed. "You said that nineteen years ago." Now that Kagome was back in his life, the half demon was reverting back to his old self, in a less malicious way. In fact he had a broad grin on his face as he teased the woman.

"I know that Inuyasha." she fired back, also grinning. "I have to go get some things that I need and tell my brother and my roommate something to explain where I've been and why I won't be there for a while. Plus I need to check my voice mail, my email, and my snail mail. I'm sure the messages are piling up, and it's not like you guys have DSL here."

Her friends were giving her blank looks as she listed off her modern things. Finally Sango smiled. "Well hurry back Kagome."

"See you guys soon." Kagome replied and jumped down the well.

She went through the void and arrived safely back in her time. In about twenty minutes, she had walked from the shrine to her apartment. She used her key to let herself in only to be met by a body hurtling at her. "Sota, what the hell? Get off of me!"

Her brother pulled back. "Kagome where the fuck have you been?" he cried. "I had to stop Eri and Yuka from calling the cops like six times."

"Jeez." Kagome scoffed, extracting herself from her brother's hold. "I was gone for four days. Not four years."

"Yeah well you left without a trace Kags," Sota reminded her. "Where were you?"

The woman sighed. "I was with Inuyasha." she whispered.

Her brother's eyes widened. "Really? I thought you said that you couldn't go back through the well anymore."

"I lied. Inuyasha and I had a fight nineteen years ago. I went back to make up with him." Kagome told him. She headed to her room, pulled a suitcase out of her closet, and started throwing clothes into it.

"Where are you going now?" Sota asked helplessly.

"Back there!" Kagome shouted. "We're trying to work things out."

"Sis, are you and Inuyasha going to get married or something?" The twenty-eight year old asked.

"No clue." his sister replied as she shut down her laptop and cell phone. She put the items in a drawer of her desk and continued packing. "Sota, I'm going to the store. When Eri gets here tell her I'm taking a vacation with the new guy I met. That should satisfy her for a while. My car will be at the old house after I leave for the Feudal Era. Get my extra set of keys and move it before Mom gets back from America."

"Okay." Sota agreed. Kagome didn't know it, but he knew how much she had missed Inuyasha over the years and he could see how excited she was now. "Good luck sis." he said as he watched her run out the door. She doubled back and gave him a hug.

"Be good, I'll be back when I can."

"Yeah yeah, just go already." the young man insisted. His sister nodded and hurried off to the store to purchase some Ramen and other of her friends' favorite foods.

After Inuyasha had seen Kagome off, he took his leave of his friends and ran off towards the west. His father's old castle stood about half a day's run from the village and that was where Sesshomaru was settled when he wasn't roaming. It wasn't his brother that he wanted to talk to though. It was his sister.

Inuyasha had always known that he had a sister. They shared a mother and had grown up together. Her name was Anaketsu and she was ten years older than him. She was the child of Lady Izayoi and a rogue bat demon. The girl had been off with her father when Inuyasha was born, but returned when the bat demon, Shoron, had heard of the death of Izayoi's mate InuTaisho. Shoron himself was struck down not long after and Izayoi had to raise the two fatherless half demons on her own. Once Izayoi died, the two siblings went their separate ways. Anaketsu turned up again about a year after Naraku was killed and had been staying with Sesshomaru ever since.

Inuyasha always went to her for advice when he was confused. It was his sister who had suggested that he not worry about Kikyo and her apparent disinterest in her family and just focus on raising the kids. That had been good advice. It made Kikyo's death a lot less painful than it could have been. Maybe his sister would have some advice to offer about this new development in his life.

The half demon made it to the castle in record time. It was just a little after midday when he arrived. Rin was outside tending to the large garden that she had convinced Sesshomaru to plant. She looked up and smiled when she saw Inuyasha heading towards her.

"Hello Inuyasha." she greeted. "How are you?"

It was a little unnerving to the half demon how young, polite and perky his older brother's mate was. "I'm alright." He replied. "Kagome came back."

Rin grinned. "I knew she would. You two are destined to be together just like me and Lord Sesshomaru."

"Uh, okay." Inuyasha answered. "Is Ana around?"

"She was on one of the turrets the last I saw." The young woman told him. "You should check up there."

"Thanks Rin." He said and ran off. He leaped to a tree branch and from there to the highest turret of the castle. That was Anaketsu's favorite place to be when she was at the castle. His sister was there alright, she smiled when she saw who had intruded upon her peace. Anaketsu was a lovely half demon woman. She had her mother's waist length black hair which rippled with waves much like her father's had. It was tied back from her face with a few bangs framing her dark purple eyes. Her skin was a creamy light golden color. When she smiled it was possible to see her fangs poking out from between her pink lips. Erupting from her back were two bat wings which showed her heritage. "Hey Ana." Inuyasha greeted his sister.

"Why Inuyasha, I do believe you're smiling." Anaketsu said playfully. "I don't think I've seen a true smile on your face since the day Kita learned how to say 'Papa'. What has happened?"

"She came back Ana." Inuyasha replied. He had told her all about Kagome leaving him and had earned himself a cuff on the head from one of Ana's wings for letting the woman that he loved leave and not chasing after her. By that time it was too late because Kikyo was pregnant with Taisho.

"Well she must truly love you. I wouldn't have come back if it were me. I mean you raised her only romantic rival from the dead with no explanation. I'd have found me some cute future boy to love and left your ass in the past little brother." Anaketsu said rationally.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know already." he groused. "But she came back and I agreed to try to have a relationship with her."

"Good for you." Ana responded. She yawned and stretched out her wings. "Sesshy wanted to talk to you at some point."

Inuyasha wrinkled his nose at his sister's nickname for the older demon. "It is so disgusting that you call him that. And even worse that he lets you."

Ana shrugged. "You're just jealous that he likes me more than you."

"Hardly." The younger half demon scoffed. He heaved a sigh. "Fine I'll talk to the bastard."

"Oh you know you two love each other. I don't know why you pretend like you'd rather see each other dead."

Inuyasha just grumbled and leaped off the edge of the turret, lighting on tree branches to the ground and landing with a thump. His sister rolled her eyes and jumped as well, using her clawed wings to glide down to the ground and land gracefully. "Show off." Inuyasha muttered.

Together they made their way inside the castle to Sesshomaru's private room. He was always in there doing who knows what. Anaketsu knocked politely and the door was opened moments later by Sesshomaru himself. Time had not aged the demon. He was still as elegant looking as ever and had even grown a little kinder. "What do you want?" he demanded.

Ana grinned. "Look Sesshy. Inuyasha's come to visit."

Sesshomaru closed his eyes and flared his nostrils at the nickname but did nothing to deter it. "How...wonderful." He intoned. "Come in _little brother_."

Inuyasha scowled but followed his brother inside with Ana tagging along behind. "What?" he barked.

"Your human playmate has returned." Sesshomaru replied. "I smelled her a few days ago and thought you should know. I was aware of how much you longed for her years ago. She could still be in the area."

The half demon was taken aback by his brother's sudden interest in his life. "Uh...yeah, yeah I know." he spluttered. "She came back and we made up sort of."

"Lovely." the older demon said flatly. "Rin will be overjoyed."

They sat there awkwardly for another minute while Anaketsu tried to contain her laughter at them. Finally Sesshomaru spoke again. "Also, there is a faint whiff of wolf in the air to the north and heading this way. I believe the leader of the wolf pack will be paying us a visit."

"I don't smell wolf." Inuyasha protested, sticking his nose in the air crudely.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. "The smell is faint to my nose." he explained. "As a half breed you could never hope to smell them until they closed in a bit. That is why I told you of them now. So you could be somewhat prepared. Didn't the young leader take a liking to your human girl?"

"Just let him try to take Kagome." Inuyasha snarled. "I'll slit him from head to toe."

Ana and Sesshomaru rolled their eyes at the same time. "So violent, so impulsive." Anaketsu sighed.

A/N: And of course that's exactly what Inuyasha is. Violent and impulsive. Okay so this was just sort of filler. The main characters interacting with their siblings. I've always wanted Inuyasha to have a sister. A woman who he wasn't in love with who could keep him in check. So I created Anaketsu. I like her a lot but I promise that this will focus on our two love birds and not all my crazy made up characters. Anyway this will more than likely be the last chapter for a couple of weeks. I _might,_ and I put emphasis on the word _might,_ be able to squeeze out one more little fluffkin chapter before I leave on Saturday morning. Don't count on it though. I'll probably just wait and make the next one a little more serious. Okay so that's it for now. Review!


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

By the time Kagome climbed back through the well into the Feudal Era, it was the middle of the night. She looked around to see if Inuyasha or any of her friends were waiting for her. 

"There she is!" came a voice from above her. Kagome looked up and was shocked to see Inuyasha in the arms of some thing flying over head on bat wings. 

"Inuyasha, if you don't stop wiggling, I _will _drop you." a female's voice rang out. Moments later Inuyasha touched down, followed by a young woman with bat wings. "There, now don't say I never did anything for you." The bat-woman said with a smirk.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and then grinned at Kagome. "You're back." he said happily.

"I told you I would be." she replied. "Who is this?" 

"Oh, this is my sister." Inuyasha replied. "Anaketsu, this is Kagome. Kagome, this is Anaketsu."

"Since when do you have a sister?" Kagome wanted to know.

"Since ten years before I was born." the half demon answered. "She and I share a mother. I didn't tell you about her because I didn't know where she was or if I would ever see her again. You probably would have never known about Sesshomaru if he hadn't kept trying to off me."

Kagome was still a little stunned, but she smiled at Ana. "It's nice to meet you."

"And you." Ana responded. "After hearing Inuyasha moan about you for the past two decades it's good to see that you have returned."

"It wasn't two decades." Inuyasha grumbled in embarrassment. "Can we go now?"

"Hold on Inuyasha." Kagome said and leaned back into the well to get out her bags. Anaketsu elbowed her brother in the ribs and gestured for him to help her. The half demon didn't need to be told twice. Once he had hefted all but one of Kagome's bags, the three of them set off towards the village.

They were about halfway there when Inuyasha froze and thrust his nose into the air. "Damn it all to hell." he cursed under his breath.

"What is it?" Kagome and Ana asked at the same time.

"Koga." the half demon muttered.

"Oh, it'll be so good to see him!" Kagome exclaimed. "I mean...how dare he come here?" she amended when she saw Inuyasha's face.

He just grumbled and then tensed up as the wind picked up. Suddenly a cyclone raced by them, revealing Koga, who skidded to a stop right in front of Kagome. "Kagome!" the wolf chief exclaimed. "You have returned."

"Uh, yeah. I'm back."

Koga reached forward and grabbed her hand. "I knew you would return to me, my love." 

"She didn't come back for you, you mangy wolf!" Inuyasha shouted.

"Could you keep it down mutt face?" Koga asked. "I'm trying to ask Kagome to be my wife."

"You're trying to do what?" a female voice shouted. Another cyclone roared by and Ayame shot out of it, fuming. "Did you forget that you already have a wife, or are you just stupid?" the female wolf demanded.

"You two got married?" Kagome said. "That's wonderful. Shame on you Koga for trying to two-time Ayame."

Koga hung his head. "I'm sorry Ayame. I just was so excited to see Kagome again that I lost my head. You know you're the only one for me."

"Uh-huh, whatever." Ayame retorted. She turned to Kagome. "Still, it is good to see you again. What brought you back after all these years?"

The woman flushed and lowered her eyes. "I missed Inuyasha." she said simply.

"See you flea bag?" Inuyasha gloated. "She came back to see me, because she loves _me_!"

"Though damned if she knows why." Ana murmured under her breath. Koga and Ayame stared at her. "Oh, hi. I'm Anaketsu, the mutt face's sister."

"Hey! You're a half demon too." Inuyasha protested. 

"Yes, but she's lovely." Koga replied.

"Yeah Inuyasha, I'm lovely." Ana teased. 

Inuyasha flared his nostrils and walked off towards the village. Kagome threw Koga and Ayame an apologetic look and hurried to follow him. "It was nice to meet you." Ana said and flew after them.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome was shouting. "Inuyasha please slow down."

"Why? If I'm gone you and Anaketsu can flirt with Koga some more. Isn't that what you want?"

"Of course not, he's married." Ana answered. Inuyasha shot her a wounded look. "Oh please grow up Inuyasha." she spat at him.

"You haven't seen the wolf for nineteen years and you act like it's been a couple of weeks. How can you just fall back into how you two used to be?" The half demon asked Kagome, ignoring his sister.

"Because Koga is just an acquaintance." Kagome told him. "I don't love him. Not like I love you Inuyasha." She leaned forward and timidly pressed her lips against his. Inuyasha froze for a minute. Then he dropped the bags and pulled Kagome to him, kissing her passionately. Kissing her like he had never kissed Kikyo. Like he would have never dreamed it was possible to kiss a woman.

He pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. "Kagome." he whispered. "This is...too fast." Even as he said it, he kissed her again, lightly.

"Right..." Kagome murmured. "Too fast. You're..." she kissed him. "right."

Inuyasha gave up his control then and lifted Kagome into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist and they kissed like there was no tomorrow. Anaketsu rolled her eyes and flew up to the nearest tree branch to wait out the make out session.

Of course they had to come up for air at some point. "This would have been so much harder if you still wore that little green thing." Inuyasha said breathlessly.

"Not to mention embarrassing for me." Kagome replied and giggled. "And it was a skirt, for your information."

"Whatever wench." Inuyasha fired back. He kissed her nose and lowered her to the ground. "Before this gets too out of hand, I'll need to talk to Kita and Taisho."

"Of course." Kagome agreed. "I don't want to do anything to come between you and your family. I'm just glad you're giving this a chance."

"I said I would. But Kagome, we do need to slow down. I-I don't want to mess this up."

The woman nodded. "I understand. We can make it work Inuyasha. I know we can." Inuyasha drew her up for another kiss. 

Ana was happy for her brother, but it was getting late, and she was sensing something headed towards them. "Alrighty love birds." she called down. "I think we should get back to the village."

Inuyasha looked up at his sister and in the process got a whiff of the air. The wolves were gone, and their scent had been replaced by one that was familiar in more ways than one. "That's...impossible." he whispered. "They're dead."

"What is it Inuyasha?" Kagome wanted to know. 

"Not sure. Let's get back home, though."


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Sango and Miroku were pacing around waiting for Inuyasha and Kagome to come back. They both were sensing the presence that Ana and Inuyasha had picked up on. Tai and Kita had gone back to their home. Sano, Keigi, and Kikara were watching their parents in puzzlement.

"You know what this feels like, don't you?" Sango asked her husband.

"Of course, how could I forget it?" Miroku responded. "But it should be impossible. All his incarnations died with him."

"Then we should probably be very worried now." Sango responded. 

Sano looked at his twin brother. "Keigi, do you have any idea what they are talking about?" Keigi shook his head and Kikara rolled her eyes.

"You two are dimwits. They said incarnations. Naraku was the one they fought with all the incarnations."

"Naraku's dead." Sano told her. "Mother tell Kikara that Naraku's dead."

Sango turned to look at her children. "I hope that he is, for all our sakes." 

As she finished speaking, Inuyasha came through their door towing Kagome. "Do you sense it?" he demanded.

They nodded. "But it couldn't be him, right?" Miroku asked.

"I'm not sure, but it smells like him. Like him and like...her. I sent Ana to go protect Kita and Taisho. Whoever it is, will be here soon."

"Would some one please explain to me what's going on?" Kagome demanded. 

Inuyasha took her hand. "Kagome there's some sort of demon coming and it smells just like Naraku-"

"But we killed him!" 

Inuyasha put a finger on her lips. "It smells like Naraku and Kikyo." he finished.

The room fell silent then, contemplating the implications of Inuyasha's words. A gust of wind picked up and Inuyasha tensed. "It's here." he whispered.

They were expecting something big to happen, something in the style of Naraku. All they got was a polite knock on the door. They all exchanged glances and then Miroku went to open the door. Standing on the other side of the door was apparently what they were all worried about. He was a tall young man with masses of long black hair. His eyes were ruby red and the were narrowed at the people in the hut. On one of his tanned shoulders was the infamous spider shaped burn mark. "Good evening all." he said jovially.

"Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha demanded, pulling out the Tetsusaiga. "And why do you smell so much like Naraku and Kikyo?"

"I would think that those questions are answered by each other." The demon, or half demon replied. "I smell like Naraku and Kikyo is because I am their son. My name is Saito."

"Kikyo and Naraku never had a son." Inuyasha said in a flat deadly voice. "Kikyo gave her only children to me."

Saito sighed and shook his head. "So delusional. Yes, my mother gave her only _living _children to you, but she had me when she was still the walking dead."

"That's impossible." Miroku argued. "The dead cannot give life." 

"Oh but they can monk. Or should I say, former monk? I am a testament to that. But convincing you of this is not why I have come." 

"Then why are you here?" Kagome demanded.

"Ah, lovely Kagome. I bet if my mother had've known of your continued meddling she would have changed her request. That is why I am here. I was but three years old when you all killed my father. As you know, my mother's undead form was destroyed in the blast that took my father from me. She was only there because she wanted me to witness my father's last moments. His head was blasted into the forest where I was hiding..."

"_Saito." the disembodied head whispered to the little boy. "Saito, listen to me." The boy crawled over to his father's head, trembling. "That half demon has just robbed you of both of your parents. One day, you must get revenge."_

"_Father, you're still alive though." Saito whimpered._

"_No, it is over for me." Naraku's head countered. "Now it's up to you, my son." The head turned to dust just then and floated away on the wind._

"So you see, my father wanted me to kill you all. Kikyo had other plans however..."

_Kikyo knew she was dying. Midoriko, her ancestress, had told her that she would not have that much time to live on the earth with her children and Inuyasha. That's why she decided not to get attached. She had gotten attached to Inuyasha the first time and it had led to her being consumed by her hatred. So much hatred that she had gone so far as to couple with someone that she despised, just to make sure that even if Inuyasha and his ragtag group of friends killed Naraku they would still have an enemy to face. The last thing she wanted was for her former love to be able to enjoy a Jewel free life when she had sacrificed everything she was for it._

_Now she had lived her time and had but hours left to go, She waited until Inuyasha and her two children were sound asleep before making her way slowly and painfully into the forest where she knew her first child lived alone. Kikyo had done what she could to make sure that Saito was okay. She would tell Inuyasha that the food she had him fetch was for the villagers, and some of it was. But a portion always went to her son in the forest. The boy was eight now, much too young to be living alone, but there was no other choice. _

_Saito was sitting outside his hut, throwing a dagger into a tree and then using his strange powers to pull it out and back to himself. He looked up and smiled when he saw his mother heading towards him. His smile quickly disappeared when he saw that she was paler than ever and could barely stand up. He abandoned his dagger and rushed over to her. "Mother, are you alright?"_

"_No Saito, I am not." Kikyo answered. "I am dying my son. But there are things we must discuss before I leave this world for good."_

_The boy helped his mother into the hut and laid her down on his bed. "There has to be some way to save you Mother." he said._

_Kikyo shook her head. "No. I chose this fate for myself out of my love for Inuyasha. I have had more time on this earth than I should have, so I will leave this world with no regrets if you will do something for me."_

"_Anything Mother." _

"_I know that your father wanted you to avenge his death and go after Inuyasha and his friends. All I ask is that you do not heed his request. Let Inuyasha be. He will have it hard enough trying to raise our two kids alone and confront his feelings for a girl who may or may not ever return to him. If he finds out about you, it will kill him."_

"_What if _he_ tries to kill _me_?" Saito asked. _

_Kikyo shook her head and then coughed viciously. "He does not know you exist and he never needs to. Besides my son, the only way you can be killed is to be burned alive. Other than that, you can regenerate like your father, and you can take the souls of others like I did. But it will be much safer for you, and for Inuyasha if the two of you never meet."_

"So I told her that I wouldn't kill you all." Saito shrugged. "What else could I do? I was young and she was dying. It was so bad that I had to help her back to your home. You and my half siblings must have been exhausted because you never even stirred. Although that could be just because I can be as silent as the dead."

"Looks like you've decided to ignore Kikyo's request then." Inuyasha snarled and hefted his sword.

The younger half demon rolled his eyes and flicked his fingers, sending the Tetsusaiga flying. "I haven't decided anything yet. Who should I be more loyal to? My father who only consented to having me to have an heir to kill you, or my mother who abandoned me to have another family? Decisions, decisions."

Inuyasha wrenched his sword out of the floor. "What if I make that decision for you?" he roared and charged towards Saito. He slashed wildly and severed the other half demon's arm. "Hah!" he shouted triumphantly.

"Do you just not listen?" Saito snapped. He closed his eyes and the arm that had fallen to the floor rose up and reattached itself to the shoulder. "I have all the regenerative powers that my father had. You'll need to try a new trick if we're to fight. I still haven't decided if we will yet. After all, it's not your fault that my parents only made me to fight you. There's no reason that we have to be bitter enemies."

"Well you're more logical than your parents it would seem." Kikara spoke up from her place on the floor.

Saito turned his crimson eyes onto the young woman. "Thank you." he accepted. "Well you are quite a lovely young woman. I bet all the idiotic village boys are after you, aren't they?"

Kikara giggled in spite of herself. "Yes, they are. Much to the chagrin of my father."

"Kikara!" Miroku snapped at his daughter as his sons narrowed their eyes and growled at Saito.

"Well Father this isn't getting anyone anywhere, and I can't help it if he's charming." Kikara retorted. "You're either going to fight him or you're not. So what's it going to be Uncle Inuyasha?"

"Kikara has a point Inuyasha." Kagome spoke up. 

"Yes, you all have points I'm sure." Saito agreed. "In any case, I was not planning to fight any of you tonight. This was merely a scouting mission." He nodded to them and walked out the door as politely as he entered. 

Inuyasha sheathed his sword and sighed. "I should have known that the peace would be short lived. Miroku, Sango watch yourselves. I'm going to take Kagome and go make sure the kids and Ana are okay." He took Kagome's hand and together they waled back to his home.

When they arrived, Kita was pacing in the front room. She launched herself at her father when she saw him. "Papa, you're okay!"

"Course I am." Inuyasha replied patting his daughter's back awkwardly. "It would take more than a little Naraku brat to kill me."

"So it's true then?" Taisho spoke up from the corner. "That guy is the son of Naraku and Mother?"

Inuyasha shot his sister a puzzled look. "He came here looking for you." Anaketsu told him. "He must have stopped here before going to Sango and Miroku's." 

"I guess so." Inuyasha agreed. He quickly filled Ana, Taisho, and Kita in on what he had learned about Saito and what had occurred. "Kikyo betrayed me for one final time I suppose." He sighed and shook his head. All of this made him feel so old and weary. What more could he have dumped on him? 

"I'm going to head out Inuyasha. I want to go tell Sesshomaru and Rin about this. I'll see you later." she flew out the door with a wave to her brother.

Inuyasha turned and looked into Kagome's eyes. They held a warmth and a degree of love that made him feel instantly better. "Hey you two, Kagome is going to be staying with us for a while. Don't get stupid."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I'll be staying here if it's okay with you two." she amended.

Taisho narrowed his eyes at her and stared for a moment. Then he shrugged. "'It's fine with me." He said finally and went to his section of the hut.

Kita grinned and hugged Kagome. "I'm glad you two are working this out." she said. "Stay here as long as you want. Stay here forever. That'll make Papa happy."

"Alright, alright. Go to bed, you." Inuyasha snapped at his daughter. She smirked at him and went off to her bedroll. Once the girl was tucked in, her father turned back to Kagome and whispered in her ear. "It would make me happy if you never left again."

Kagome smiled at him. "I'll see what I can do."


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The next morning dawned cool and clear. Inuyasha rose from his pallet on the floor of is hut and stretched. He swept his golden eyed around the room and started when he saw Kagome sleeping mere feet from him. She had been there all night it seemed, although when he had gone to sleep she had been with Kita.

The half demon smiled. It had only just hit him how glad he was to have Kagome back with him. He stared at her sleeping form for a moment, wondering what it would feel like to have her curled up beside him, nestled against his chest. Inuyasha shook his head, there would be time for that later. For now it was time to start the day.

He walked outside and found Taisho and Kita sparring several feet away from the hut. They both had swords out and at the ready. Remembering all the times that he had transformed into a full demon against his will, Inuyasha had made sure that it would never happen to his kids. He had beat Totosai into making swords for them to keep their demon blood in check.

Taisho's was the Kappatsu. It was forged out of a strange light blue metal and could be used to shoot bolts of energy at Tai's foes. The hilt was wrapped in black leather and when fully transformed, the sword was thin, but was as strong as Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga.

Kita's sword was different. It had a blood red appearance and when fully transformed was nearly the same size as her father's sword. It was called the Kasei Tenchi, or fire born angel. According to Totosai, when Kita mastered the sword, she'd be able to engulf the blade in flames and use them to her advantage without harming herself.

Inuyasha looked on proudly as his kids blocked each other's attacks. Tai was whipping off energy bolts at his sister and Kita was swinging her large sword around, parrying his attacks. The half demon smiled as a wicked grin stretched across his daughter's face. He knew what she had planned.

Kita waited until her brother was getting ready to fire off another attack. She crashed her sword up against his and held. Tai tried to use his height to his advantage and bore down on the Kasei Tenchi. Kita braced herself with her right foot and swept her left leg around, hooking her brother's feet and landing him flat on the ground. She pressed the edge of her crimson sword against Tai's throat.

"I yield dammit." Taisho grumbled. He took the hand that Kita offered him and got to his feet. Inuyasha clapped his hands slowly three times. Tai and Kita turned and saw their father. The boy groaned as Inuyasha came over to them.

"Excellent job Kita." the half demon praised his daughter. "Valiant effort Tai. Now go fetch some water and wood."

The two rolled their eyes, but sheathed their swords and went to do as their father said. Along the way they met with Sanosuke and Keigi, both gathering the materials needed for breakfast at Sango and Miroku's. Kita grabbed the water buckets from her brother and motioned for him to go get wood. Keigi followed him as Sano headed to the stream with Kita.

"Seen anything more of the Saito character?" he asked her.

She shook her head and filled the buckets. "And we've no idea when we will see him again." She flopped down on the ground beside her cousin. "Papa told us that he's not even sure if they are going to fight or not."

Sano shook his head. "He is very different from what we've heard of Naraku that's for sure. Mother and Father seem to be very worried."

"It's probably because they had no idea Saito existed. They thought that everything that had to do with Naraku was destroyed along with him." Kita sighed. "Leave it to my mother to be harboring his heir."

Sano placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "She did what her hatred made her do. And in the end she tried to make sure that Saito wouldn't go after Uncle Inuyasha."

Kita stretched and cocked one ear into the forest. Tai and Keigi were returning with the wood. "Still this is not what Papa needs right now." She said as she stood up. "He's trying to have a relationship and put all the past behind him. Having a walking, talking, indestructible reminder of it all is not going to mke for an easy time for any of us." The girl grabbed a pole with hooks on both ends from the grass beside her and hooked the water buckets to it. She slung the whole thing over her shoulder and started the walk back to the hut.

While the pups were away and Inuyasha was too busy talking to Kagome to use his senses, Saito snuck back into the village. He wasn't there to hurt anyone, he just needed a moment alone with his mother.

Inuyasha had made the decision to have Kikyo buried on the outskirts of the village. Most of the villagers thought that the priestess should have received the honor of being buried in the center of the village with Old Kaede, but none of them were willing to go up against Inuyasha about it. The half demon had his reasons for doing what he did. There was no way he wanted his family to have to walk past Kikyo's grave every time they were out and about. It was impossible for the priestess to be revived again, Midoriko had told him that much and Inuyasha found it hard to worry about demons stealing her bones. So Kikyo rested in peace far out of his sight.

Saito moved swiftly through the village. Most of it's inhabitants were too busy with their everyday tasks to notice what he was doing, so he made it to the grave site unhampered. He was disgusted when he saw the pathetic excuse for a grave that the half demon had constructed. It was little more than a patch of dirt with a rock to mark the spot. One of the more devoted villagers, the blacksmith in fact, had carved out the legend "Honored Lady Kikyo" onto the stone. Saito cursed himself for not being present to make sure that his mother's body received proper treatment. But in order to heed her request of not meeting Inuyasha, Saito had fled the lands and moved South. Now he had returned to find this atrocity.

He settled himself on the ground next to the grave, his nostril's flared in annoyance and the covered up spider burn mark pricking with energy. "Mother." he whispered. "You asked me not to kill him. To just leave and ignore the request that Father laid before me. I wanted to do right by you Mother, but...look at what they've done. This is a mockery of your memory and I_ cannot_ let it stand. I do not ask you to understand, just that one day you forgive me for the things that I will do here. For the things that I _must_ do here." Saito bowed his head and two tears fell from his eyes and onto the stone that marked where his mother lie rotting. He told himself that it was necessary. That he was doing this for Kikyo and not Naraku. He strode back through the village and leaped up into a tree to wait.

Inuyasha made sure that Kagome and the kids were eating when he slipped out. There was something that he hadn't done in a while. Something that needed to be done now.

He walked through his village, nodded to the humans who stopped what they were doing to bow respectfully to their headman. Before long he was at Kikyo's grave. The smell of that Saito character was all over the place. Inuyasha growled low in his throat, thinking of Naraku's whelp being there, but then he remembered that Kikyo had been his mother. He had just as much right to be there as Kita and Tai did.

Though he hadn't realized it, it had been ages since Inuyasha had thought of Kikyo's death. Sure he remembered that she was dead, but the actual day that it happened and that day's events hadn't crossed his mind in some time...

_Tai and Kita had woken with the sun that morning. They crawled out from their pallets and began to wrestle on the floor as half demon kids will. Before they knew it, their tumbling had led them to be right in front of the curtain that separated their mother's section of the hut from the rest. Once she had fallen ill, she had requested not to sleep with Inuyasha anymore and he had consented. _

_Kita's eyes grew wide with fear that they would disturb their ailing mother, so she ducked when Tai came flying at her with a yell. "Hush Tai." the five year old scolded her older brother. "Don't wake Ma."_

_Tai scrambled to his feet. The last time he had disturbed Kikyo's rest, Inuyasha had given him a good thumping. Kikyo had woken up at his laugh that time, now she didn't even stir when he yelled. "You think she's okay?" he asked his sister._

_She shrugged and moved to peer behind the curtain. Taisho stopped her. If she was caught, she'd be subject to their father's wrath for sure. It was better that he looked. The young half demon pulled the curtain back and looked in at his mother. In the new day sunlight he could see that she was paler than ever but before he could make any further observation, Kita let out a wail. The smell of her mother's dead body filled her sensitive nose._

_Moment's later Inuyasha slammed the sliding door to his sleeping area open and stomped over to the children. "Are you crazy?" he demanded. "Kikyo needs her rest and she can't get it with you two whelps making all kinds of racket!" Kita had yet to stop wailing and Inuyasha grabbed the collar of her kimono and held her at eye level. "What is the matter with you girl?" he shouted._

"_Ma's dead!" the five year old screeched. Inuyasha's golden eyes dulled as what his daughter said was confirmed by his own nose. _

_He closed his eyes. "Tai, take your sister to Sango and Miroku's tell them what's happened." When his son hesitated, Inuyasha let out a growl. "Do as I say!" he exclaimed. The boy nodded, grabbed Kita's hand and ran off. Inuyasha went into the room with his dead mate. "Oh Kikyo..." he murmured. So this was it then. Kagome had left him and Kikyo was dead. So he was left alone. "Just me and the pups." _

"Just me and the pups." Inuyasha said to Kikyo's grave. "And Kagome. You were wrong Kikyo. She came back." His face hardened. "And so did your _son. _I'll kill him if I have to Kikyo. He won't break up my happiness." The half demon stood and walked away.

Saito was watching him from the tree he had perched in. He scoffed. His mother's half breed plaything thought that he could best him. What foolishness. Inuyasha may have killed his father, but Saito was stronger than that. In all truth Naraku had been a sneaky bastard and deserved what he got. Saito had his mother's strength and a fierce sense of honor. This would be a fair fight, and one he intended to win.

As Inuyasha passed under the tree, he paused and spoke without looking up. "Guess you've made your decision then whelp."

Saito jumped down landing in front of the older half demon. "I'd forgotten that dog demons have superior senses. I won't be so careless when we fight." Inuyasha reached for the hilt of his sword and Saito shook his head. "No, we will not do it now. I wish to give you a fight that is worthy of your skill, your prowess. I also do not wish to harm your family. My grudge is not with them. Your children loss the same mother I did, and just as my father was killed so will theirs perish. But get them to safety first. Them and your friends. Anyone else who gets in the way will be slaughtered with you."

Inuyasha was taken aback. Never had a foe been so polite. Never had a foe offered to allow him to secure his family. He narrowed his golden eyes at him. "Then I guess I'll see you in battle." he offered and walked off.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Inuyasha walked through the village, heading towards his home. Kita and Tai had returned to the yard, the latter ranting about a rematch. They waved at their father as he passed, but received no response. The siblings exchanged glances and followed him inside.

Kagome had been sitting in the middle of the floor writing something on a piece of paper. She looked up curiously as the half demons came in. She took one look at Inuyasha's face and knew there was a problem. "What's wrong?" she demanded.

Inuyasha sighed and plopped down beside her. "Saito and I will fight." he said seriously.

Kita and Tai broke into relieved grins. "Is that all Father?" Tai scoffed. "We thought it was something serious. You could take that idiot any day."

Kagome wasn't so assured. Inuyasha still had that look in his eyes. "What is it?"

He sighed. "Saito's not like any one else I've ever fought. He's not fighting me because I'm a half demon, or because I love and protect humans. Or even because I killed Naraku and mated his mother. It's his honor that's making him do this."

"His honor?" Tai asked skeptically.

Inuyasha nodded. "Saito is even giving me the chance to get you all to safety before the fight. He wants you to be safe before he slaughters me."

"Inuyasha, you...you don't think he has a chance do you?" Kagome asked worriedly.

The half demon shrugged. "He doesn't seem to be that powerful, he's a half demon too after all. But it's his conviction that will make him strong. He's nothing like Naraku, that's for sure."

"But you're going to fight him anyway?"

Inuyasha cracked a smile. "Oh yeah. I've been itching for a real fight since the pups were born, and this one will be a true test of my skills."

"_Our _skills." Kita corrected him.

Inuyasha cocked an eyebrow at his daughter. "Kita..." he warned.

"No Papa." the girl said firmly. "Saito is threatening you because he feels that you've wronged his family. And he's wronging mine by threatening to slaughter you. I can't let that stand."

"Yes you can Kita. You can and you will. You're are going to safety with every body else."

"Kikyo was _my_ mother too Papa. I have as much right to defend my ideals of her as Saito does. I have as much right to defend my family as you do."

"Kita, maybe we should just do as he says." Taisho murmured.

"No!" Kita shouted. "I am _not a child_! I _do not _need to be hidden away. I _will _fight dammit!" She stomped her foot and ran out of the hut.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and sighed. "What am I going to do with her?"

Kagome elbowed him. "She gets it from you stupid. You were always like that. Trying to fight anyone who looked at you wrong because you thought it was right. She wants to defend her family. She wants to stand beside you. You're busy admiring Saito's honor, but what about your daughter's?"

That startled Inuyasha. Kita was his daughter. His youngest child. He had never thought of her as being prideful or a having a fighter's spirit. He saw her as sweet Kita. But now everything made sense. His daughter trained hard for a reason, and she was good too. She was exactly like him. Maybe she didn't need to be protected. Maybe, she could do a little protecting herself.

He looked up and found Kagome staring at him. "What wench?" he demanded. Kagome just stared. "Fine, she can stay and fight."

"Don't tell me. Go tell _her_." Kagome ordered.

Inuyasha got to his feet grumbling. "Wench, shows up and starts giving orders...making me _realize_ crap." He sniffed the air when he made it outside and followed his daughter's scent. He could smell her tears and her anger. It led him right to her.

She was deep in the forest, Kasei Tenchi in her hand. He watched as Kita closed her eyes and unleashed a flurry of attacks on a nearby tree. "Damn it all to hell." she swore.

"That's no way for a headman's daughter to talk." Inuyasha told her as he stepped out of the shadows. "Although I suppose I'm not much of a headman." Kita just narrowed her eyes at him and continued her onslaught on the tree. "Kita will you stop for a minute?" The girl bared her fangs at him and growled deeply. Inuyasha smirked and returned her growl.

"What do you want Father?" Kita demanded.

"Stop it with that 'father' crap." Inuyasha ordered. "Look, I'm sorry, okay?"

"Yeah well..." her retort died on her lips. Her father had just apologized to her. "What are you sorry for?" Kita asked cautiously.

"I didn't notice that you were turning into me." Inuyasha said. "I expected Taisho to be the hot head, but he got your mother's temperament. You and I though, we're so much alike. Prideful. Strong. Over protective."

Kita met his eyes. "So you admit that you're coddling me because I'm a girl? Because that's exactly what you're doing. If Tai wanted to fight beside you in this you wouldn't have a thing to say about it."

"Well yeah, he's _my _son." Inuyasha responded. "I'd still want him to be careful and I'd rather he wasn't in the fight at all, though I wouldn't try to stop him."

"And that's exactly what's so unfair!" Kita exclaimed. "Tai doesn't fight like I do. When we spar I beat him eight times out of ten. I practice everyday while he's off flirting with the village girls!"

"I know." Her father assured her. "I'm just no good with girls Kita. Kikyo wanted me to keep you from running wild, but I didn't know how to do that. I-" he faltered. "I'm not the best father."

Kita sheathed her sword and sighed. She shook her black and silver hair out of it's ponytail and sat beside her father. "You do okay Papa. Tai and I...we know that you care about us. And I know that you're trying to protect me. But Papa, I don't want to be protected. I want to fight. I...I want to show you that I'm good for something more than just kicking Taisho's ass. I want you to be proud of me."

Inuyasha caught her warm gold eyes with his own. "I _am _proud of you Kitana." He called her by her full name for the first time in years. "But I want you safe. If I lost you..." he shook his head. "I realize though that if I deny you this I'll lose you in another way. What's a poor father to do?"

His daughter rolled her eyes. "How about this: you let me try to fight. If it gets to be too much, I'll return to wherever the others are going to be staying. That way at least one of us will still be alive to protect them if you get killed."

"Feh." Inuyasha scoffed. "I'm not planning on dying and not by the hands of any brat of Naraku's." His eyes softened. "We have a deal daughter." Inuyasha hesitated and then wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to him. He dropped a kiss onto the top of her head and rubbed her ears affectionately.

"Oy Papa." Kita protested as she squirmed away. "What are you, some kinda human?"

When father and daughter arrived back at the hut Inuyasha growled low in his throat. Kita sniffed the air and grinned. "Uncle Sesshomaru's come around." she murmured.

"Bastard." Inuyasha snarled under his breath. "What the hell does he want?"

"Only one way to find out." Kita grabbed his hand and pulled him into the hut. Sesshomaru was seated on the floor across from Kagome and Tai.

Inuyasha and Kita arrived just in time to hear the older demon speak. "And so you have returned." He said to Kagome. "Your love for my little brother must truly run deep."

Kagome blushed and smiled. "You could say that. How have _you _been Sesshomaru? I heard that you and Rin..." She trailed off, unsure of how to phrase their union.

"Yes. Rin is...unique among human women to me. She has grown to be a suitable mate." the older demon responded. "She makes an excellent lady of the Western Lands." Everyone had been surprised that Sesshomaru made Rin his lady. It was one thing to take a human as a lover, but another thing entirely to give one of them titles and share your life with them.

"Yeah we get it, you're in love with the brat." Inuyasha scoffed.

"Inuyasha you are so crude sometimes. Sit!" Kagome commanded. Nothing happened.

The half demon quirked his ears in amusement. "Ha! Kikyo removed the spell from these damned beads years ago."

Kagome scowled. "She would." The woman stood up and walked over to him. She pressed her lips against his firmly. "Now behave." she whispered. Inuyasha just nodded stupidly at her, a little in shock. His children however, roared with laughter. Even Sesshomaru smirked.

"Oh shut up." the half demon muttered and sat down on the floor, pulling Kagome with him. She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder, her hand still wrapped in his.

"It would seem Inuyasha, that I am not the only one who is in love at the moment." Sesshomaru replied smoothly. "However I have not come to put you in your proper place just yet. There are more pressing matters. As I was passing over this area recently, I sensed...something...that reeks like Naraku."

"Catch up Sesshomaru." Inuyasha taunted. "We've known about that guy for days. His name is Saito and he reeks like Naraku because he's the bastard's son."

"With whom?" Sesshomaru wanted to know. "I was under the impression that Naraku had no lovers and was killed before he could gain any."

"Yeah well..." Inuyasha stalled and then blew out air. "Saito shared his mother with Taisho and Kita."

Sesshomaru raised a delicate eyebrow. "Your priestess? How...interesting. I'll assume that this Saito fled when the wench died. Why has he come now?"

Inuyasha heaved a sigh. "Because Naraku told the whelp that he was supposed to kill me. So he is bound on doing just that. Kikyo tried to convince him to leave me alone, but his honor demands that he fight me."

"And will _you _fight_ him_?" Sesshomaru inquired.

"Kita and I will." Inuyasha replied and smirked at his daughter. "Tai, you can join in the battle as well, if you want."

The young half demon looked uneasy. "Father I...I'd prefer to stay with the others. You know, to make sure they're safe." It was no secret that outside of sparring with his sister and father, Taisho had no stomach for fighting. He was the peaceful one in the family.

Inuyasha nodded and Sesshomaru scowled. "Inuyasha, have you left your senses? You would send your only daughter into battle and allow your son to remain behind? That is not the way of our clan."

His younger brother shook his head. "You know what Sesshomaru? Every time I think you're making progress towards not being a frigid bastard you make comments like that. Yeah, Kita can fight with me if she wants. She trains harder than anyone I've seen. And yeah, Tai can stay with Kagome and the others. It's his choice. This ain't Father's time anymore Sesshomaru, I suggest you keep up with the times before you get left behind."

A/N: Get it Inuyasha! I love Sesshomaru, but someone needed to put him in his place. But he's changing for the better. I mean, he married a human after all. There are a few surprises around the bend for our beloved Lord of the Western Lands. Those are coming up soon. The big fight with Saito is a couple chapters away still and in the meantime we'll get some more Inu/Kag action and some good father/daughter-ness as Inuyasha preps Kita to fight with him. Okay I think that's it. Oh wait. I don't know if any of you care, but let it be said that RENT HAS BEEN EXTENDED!!

Me: Aren't you excited Inuyasha?

Inuyasha: (growling and going all bad ass and demon like) Damn it all to hell, I already bought my ticket for June 1st.

Me: (in a placating voice) Calm down Inuyasha. You can exchange it for the last show on Sept. 7th.

Inuyasha: (reverting back to normal) Oh. Well. Good to know. By the way, you haven't disclaimed in a while. YOU DON"T OWN ME!!

Me: (hangs head in dejection) I know. I know.

Okay with that bit of foolishness over, please review.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"NO!" Inuyasha shouted. "We don't have time for that!"

"Oh stop being such a baby Father. He was here yesterday, why can't we go see him today?" Taisho reasoned.

"I don't want to make these visits a habit. Besides, we've got better things to do than hang out around that bastard."

"Inuyasha I want to go see Rin and your sister, so just suck it up." Kagome argued. "We're going."

"Look wench, you can't just show up after nineteen years and give me orders."

"SIT!"

"Still doesn't work. OW!!" Inuyasha gloated and then got smacked over the head with the water bucket. "Fine, we'll go." he grumbled.

"Thank you." Kagome replied and kissed him on the cheek.

Inuyasha blushed and made his way outside. "We're leaving in five minutes."

Shippo, who was accompanying them smirked at Kagome. "He's so whipped."

Kagome smiled back. "He's not. I think he just loves me or something." She got up and the two headed outside. Sango had lent them Kilala for the day because it would be easier to get everyone to Sesshomaru's that way. Kita, Tai and Inuyasha were already astride the demon. Kagome climbed aboard with Shippo, who was still small enough to sit in her lap. Twenty minutes later they were soaring over the Castle of the West.

Anaketsu was doing laps around the turrets of the Castle when she saw them. The half bat demon waved and flew over. "What brings you guys by? I thought Sesshy payed you all a visit yesterday."

"He did but Kagome just had to come and see you and Rin today. I told her that we have more important things to do, but I got a bucket over the head for my troubles." Inuyasha explained to his sister.

"No you got hit in the head because you called me a wench, asshole." Kagome countered. "Hello Anaketsu, it's nice to see you again."

"And you Kagome. Sesshy is in the main hall with Rin. I'll tell them you're here." Ana replied.

Kilala landed and they all dismounted. A maid hurried over to them and curtsied. "Lord Inuyasha, Lord Taisho, Lady Kita, Lady Kagome, Master Shippo." she greeted. "Lord Sesshomaru awaits you in his receiving hall. Please follow me." She curtsied again, giving Tai a subtle smile. The young half demon smiled back and puffed out his chest a bit. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and smacked his son in the back of the head. Tai cringed and followed after Kagome and the maid.

She lead them into the hall and knelt at Sesshomaru's feet. "My Lord, your guests." she murmured.

"Thank you Reuika." Sesshomaru said. "That will be all."

Reuika inclined her head and rose to her feet. She curtsied again and moved to leave the room. When she passed Tai, she pinched his butt and winked. Tai grinned and received another smack from his father.

Inuyasha opened his moth to say something insulting to his older brother when the door opened and Rin came in. To say that the girl had grown up over the years was an understatement. She was much taller and her figure had filled out. Her hair fell nearly to her waist and she walked now, rather than the skip she used to have.

"You sent for me My Lord?" she asked with a curtsy. Sesshomaru stood up and offered her his hand. Rin took it and allowed him to lead her to the platform where he stood. The demon made no show of affection towards the girl, except for her hand clasped in his.

"Yes, I did." Sesshomaru answered. "As you have undoubtedly seen, Inuyasha's human has returned."

Inuyasha's human made a face at the demon lord. "My name is Kagome, Sesshomaru. And I am nobody's anything. I belong to myself."

The stoic demon's lips twitched as he tried to fight a smile. "Very well then. Rin, Kagome has returned."

The young woman had seen Kagome when she entered, now she walked over with a smiled on her face and embraced the other woman. "I knew that you would return to Lord Inuyasha. It seems as if the two of you are fated to be together."

Kagome blushed. "Um...okay. It's nice to see you again Rin. I'm so happy for you and Sesshomaru."

Rin bowed. "I'm happy for you and Lord Inuyasha too." She turned back to her mate. "Did you tell them yet my Lord?"

"Tell us what?" Inuyasha barked.

"Patience little brother, has your current situation taught you nothing? In any case it is more for Kitana's benefit than yours, though it will undoubtedly help you as well."

"Will you get on with it?" The half demon whined. "I got better things to do than stand around here getting preached at by you all damn day." As he spoke, Sesshomaru waved his hand and a maid brought out one of his guests. Inuyasha's ranting was cut off by a scream from his daughter.

"Vol!" The young half demon woman threw herself across the room and into the arms of Sesshomaru's guest.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Just great." he muttered.

Kagome leaned up to whisper in his ear. "Who is that?"

"Kita's _boyfriend_." He said he word like it was something dirty. "He used to come round the village all the time before he was drafted into the army and went to the mainland." Inuyasha explained.

"Well obviously you like him or he'd be dead by now." Shippo put in. It was true, Inuyasha didn't have that big of an issue with the person his daughter had fallen in love with. They were both half demons after all.

His name was Volug. He was half human, half wolf and looked the part. On top of his head were two black wolf ears and he had a long bushy black tail. His hair just brushed his collar bone and it was as black as everything else. His skin was tanned a light brown and his purple eyes sparkled as he gave Kita a kiss.

Inuyasha cleared his throat. "What are you doing back here Volug?" he wanted to know.

The wolf took Kita's hand and faced her father. "My time in the army has ended." he answered. "So I came back this way. I stopped here at Lord Sesshomaru's to rest up when I heard about this Saito person and that my Kita is to fight him."

"Don't you dare try to talk me out of it either Vol." Kita growled. "This is something that I have to do."

"I understand that and I won't interfere. All I ask is that you allow me to train you some. I am sure that your father will be doing the same and I'd feel better if I knew that you were prepared."

"Can we talk about this at home?" Inuyasha interrupted. "I'd like to get back sometime before nightfall."

Kagome smacked him in the head. "I suppose it is getting late. We should get going." she said. Then she grinned. "Oh and congratulations you two."

Rin and Sesshomaru exchanged confused glances. "Why do you congratulate us?" he inquired.

"Oh because Rin is pregnant." Kagome answered nonchalantly as she followed everyone towards the doors. "I still have my spiritual powers and they told me as soon as I saw her." She waved as they exited the hall leaving the Lord and Lady of the West stunned.

**A/N: Okay I hate this chapter. I started with such good intentions but then it started to suck. And _then_ I went and introduced another character to the mix. I couldn't help it. Volug is not mine by the way. He's a character from the Wii game Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. Ladies you should look his up online. He is HOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTTTT!! Anyway, please review even if you think this sucked.**


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Alright Kita," Inuyasha instructed. "I want you to destroy that tree in as few moves as possible." He was standing in the middle of the forest. Volug was beside him and Kita was in front of them both. A few feet away, Tai was sitting on a large rock watching his sister train.

Kita closed her eyes and tried to channel her power into her sword. She knew there was only one way to kill Saito, and that was to burn him up. Her sword had the capability to make flames consume her enemies, all she had to do was make it work. The young half demon exhaled and stilled her body. Inuyasha was impressed by her discipline. He could never be that controlled. Quick as lightning, Kita lashed out at the tree. She hit it once, twice, three times and the tree was no more. The young woman touched down and then grimaced. "That sucked didn't it?" she groaned.

All three of the men around her gaped. "Kita you're amazing." Volug said sincerely. "You don't need more training, you've got this."

The girl flopped onto the rock with her brother. "No I don't." she replied flatly. "Saito inherited Naraku's powers of regeneration. I can hit him as fast and hard as I want and he'll just reform."

"Don't forget that thanks to _Kikyo,_ he has the power to save himself from death by stealing the souls of others." Inuyasha added bitterly. He heaved a sigh. "Kita, continue to practice with Volug and Tai. I'll be back soon." With that he turned on his heel and left.

Inuyasha was at a loss. If this had been a normal foe then he and Kita could have taken him out no problem. Hell, Kita probably could have handled the whole thing by herself, strong as she had become. But this was Saito, the son of Naraku and Kikyo. Neither of which had been easily killed. The half demon sighed again and plopped down beside a stream not far from his home. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice Kagome was bathing not twenty feet away from him until she began to hum softly.

Inuyasha's ears twitched and he stared at the woman. It was so amazing that even in the midst of all this...confusion, Kagome was still herself. Although, Inuyasha supposed she had always been like that. He stared at her as she stood up in the water and used a large wooden bowl to rinse herself off. She had matured nicely over the years and Inuyasha could feel a blush creeping over his cheeks. He quickly lowered his eyes to the ground.

"Inuyasha?" The half demon looked up warily. Kagome had finished bathing and was standing over him, dressed in a pretty light green kimono.

"I wasn't..." He hastened to assure her, even though it was a lie.

Kagome shook her head. "I don't care if you were. What's wrong?"

"Nothin'" Inuyasha grunted and crossed his arms.

Kagome rolled her eyes. She was _so _sick of him hiding his feelings from her. That was a huge contributing factor to their nineteen year estrangement. She knelt in front of him and cupped his face in her cool palm, making him meet her eyes. "Tell me." she murmured.

There was something about how warm her eyes were. It warmed the coldness inside of him, just like always. "I'm...worried." Inuyasha admitted. "This fight is different than any I had before. Even from Naraku. Back then, none of us were afraid to put our lives on the line to defeat him. We knew that unless we could kill him we'd never have anything."

"And we did it in the end." Kagome reminded him.

Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah. But now here's his son, young and ready to kill. And now we all have families and things to live for. This could end badly."

"Inuyasha are you trying to say that you think you and Kita are going to lose this?" Kagome asked.

"Kita... She shouldn't even be anywhere near this fight. Let alone a part of it. But I can't deny her this. She's so fast Kagome. You should see her in action. It's incredible."

"She _is _your daughter."

Inuyasha shook his head. "Still it may not be enough."

Kagome flared her nostrils and moved her hand from Inuyasha's cheek to tug at his silver forelock. "Hey! Watch the hair!" he cried indignantly.

"What the hell happened to you Inuyasha?" Kagome demanded. "Whatever happened to the half demon who wasn't afraid of anything? The guy who would talk back and threaten to kill anyone, no matter how much stronger the opponent. Where's the Inuyasha who would fight as hard as he could even with a gaping hole in his stomach?" She had yelled all this, but now she quieted and whispered. "Where's the Inuyasha I fell in love with?"

"He grew up Kagome." was the reply. "He had to take care of two pups because his stupid mate could have cared less. She was too busy harboring the son of his most hated enemy. So excuse _that _Inuyasha for trying to look at this realistically!"

Kagome stared at Inuyasha for a moment when suddenly it hit her. "Inuyasha, Saito isn't Naraku. He's no more Naraku than you and Sesshomaru are InuTaisho."

"I know that." Inuyasha snapped.

"And he's not Kikyo either. Killing Saito won't bring you to peace with Kikyo's death. Or revenge either for that matter. Besides I thought you were over all that."

Inuyasha looked away. When he looked back he had tears in his golden eyes. "I...I locked all that up. All the times with you, and then Kikyo's death, all of it was out of my mind. Then you came back and I had to face my feelings for you. Then that whelp showed up and I had to think about Kikyo and her last act of treachery. I...I just want to put Kikyo out of my mind once and for all and move on with my life."

Kagome sighed. "You can never do that." She said regretfully. "You had a family with her Inuyasha. Your children have her blood in their veins. You can't be rid of her, you can only accept what happened and _then_ move on."

"Are you going to be moving on with me Kagome?" Inuyasha inquired softly. "Because that's another thing that's worrying me. What if we can make this work between us? What if Kita and I do Saito like we did Naraku and everything is okay again? Will you stay with me, or will you go back to your time?"

Kagome had to think about that. She loved being in her time with all of it's modern conveniences. It was where she thought she belonged. But after having lived there for the past nineteen years without Inuyasha, Kagome knew that she could give it all up if she had to. She'd do it to stay by his side. "Inuyasha if we pull this off, I'll follow you to the ends of the earth. I love you so much and I can't imagine living without you again. I'd love to be able to go home at times, but I've lived my life there and right here is where I'd rather be."

Inuyasha lifted his amber eyes to her brown ones , leaned forward, and pressed his lips against hers. He kissed her with all the frustration that he felt and she returned the favor. Soon the half demon was bearing Kagome down towards the ground.

"Inuyasha...wait." Kagome panted as she came up for air. "I thought...you said...slow."

"Screw slow." Inuyasha growled and attacked her lips again. This was what he wanted. He'd been waiting so long for this. Inuyasha had always wondered why his relationship with Kikyo had lacked passion. Then he realized. It was because Kikyo had been trying to humanize him. To turn him into a good little mate, one who was worthy of being with a respected priestess. Kagome allowed him to be what he was. Sure she squeaked when one of his fangs nipped at her lip. But it was a squeak of pleasure. There was never the look of revulsion in Kagome's eyes that had often graced Kikyo's. Inuyasha now knew it was because one woman loved _him _and the other loved what she wanted him to be. He sighed into Kagome's mouth and she pulled back.

"What is it?"

"Thank you Kagome." he whispered. "Thank you for seeing and believing in me."

"Um...you're welcome? Where are you going?" Inuyasha had leapt to his feet.

"I gotta go finish training Kita!" he shouted back as he ran off. "I love you Kagome, be back soon!"

Kagome's eyes widened and she smiled slowly. He sounded like he meant that and for a moment it was as if she had never left and everything was as it was supposed to be.

**A/N: Grrrrrr. I'm not exactly happy with this chapter either. Not sure why. Anyway I hope all you Inu/Kag fans were pleased with their little interlude. If things keep going this well for them, I might have to up the rating! Um...what's next? Kita will master her ultimate technique and the key to beating Saito. But it won't make the fight any easier because little Naraku-spawn has a few nasty tricks up his sleeves. Oh and we'll pop back over to the Castle of the West for some red faced Sesshomaru action. I think that's it. Please review. **


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Miroku, can't you for once, just do as I ask?" Inuyasha pleaded in exasperation. He had gone over to his friends' hut to tell them about the upcoming fight with Saito. He was trying to get them to agree to go to safety with Kagome. So far he had not been successful.

"Inuyasha, you are about to face the son of our most hated rival and you want us to run and hide?" The former monk countered. "How can you even ask this of us?"

"I suppose he's looking out for our safety." Sango put in. "I mean we are getting up in years Miroku. We obviously are no match for this Saito." She folded her arms and glared at Inuyasha. "That's what you think right?"

"No!" The half demon assured her. "I just want you guys to be safe. Look, Saito is not Naraku. He's not trying to kill anyone who crosses him. This is a personal grudge that the kid feels like he has to settle with me. It's not even about Naraku anymore. It's more about Kikyo now."

"And is it true then Inuyasha, that you are letting Kita fight with you?" Miroku wanted to know.

Inuyasha nodded. "It's as much her fight as it is mine."

Sango, the more sensible one of the couple put her hand on Miroku's shoulder. "We should probably just do what he wants." she said. "I suppose he has enough on his mind without having to worry about us, and...it really isn't our fight."

"Fine." Miroku agreed with a sigh. "We will go. But you and Kita had better emerge from this battle in one piece, or you'll have me to deal with." He stood up. "I'll go get the children started packing."

Inuyasha sighed in relief and looked gratefully at Sango who was leaning against the wall. "Thank you."

The demon slayer shrugged. "You're right to want us in safety. It's just that after all we've been through together, we feel that our place is beside you in combat. Can you blame us?"

"No, I guess not." the half demon replied. "It's one of the reasons I never had friends in the past. I didn't want attachments like that. Now though..." he looked out the open door. "I'm grateful for every bond I have."

Meanwhile, Kita was visiting her mother's grave. Silent tears coursed down her face as she stared at the stone that was all the indication that Kikyo was buried there. "Why Ma?" she asked.

"Did she have another choice?" a voice inquired. Kita looked up and saw Saito perched in the branches of the tree the grave was at the base of. Her slightly clawed hand went to the hilt of the Kasei Tenchi. Saito waved his hand. "There is no need for that little sister. I will not attack you in this place, or so dishonorably. I merely wished to speak with you."

Kita narrowed her eyes. "Then speak." she murmured.

Saito nodded. "I never consented to being double teamed you know." he began. "My quarrel was with your father alone. Why do you feel the need to get involved?"

"Why do _you _feel that you have to fight my father?" Kita asked.

"My mother asked me to go against _my _father's wishes and leave Inuyasha alone. I was prepared to do that because I...I loved her...in a way. But Inuyasha tarnished the memory of the caring woman Kikyo was by burying her out here and trying to pretend she never existed. She was the only family I ever knew, the only one whoever cared about me. I cannot let this injustice stand."

Kita nodded. "It is understandable. But you see, I have different memories of our mother. While she was the only one who took care of you, she neglected me and Taisho. We had our father and he made things as okay as he could. He had his reasons for placing Ma's body where he did. I'm fighting because Papa always fought for me when I was little. I'm fighting because I know that my mother meant well. I'm fighting because I think that you are just using her as a rallying point to do what Naraku always wanted. Whether you know it or not."

Saito studied the girl carefully. "We are not so different little half sister." he said after a while. "Very well. The next we meet it will be in battle. Tell Inuyasha that he can pick any place he wants, other than this spot, and we will fight in two days."

"Why not this spot?" The young woman wanted to know.

Saito hung his head. "Because I am ashamed that I will be disobeying Mother's wishes, even if I think it's right. I do not want her spirit or whatever remains here to have to witness what must take place." He inclined his head to Kita and leapt away.

Kita sighed and made her way to Sango and Miroku's hut. Her father was there making sure that the couple and their kids would consent to fleeing to safety. Kagome had gone to Shippo and Soten's home to do the same, and Anaketsu and Tai were at the Castle of the West trying to convince Sesshomaru to allow them to stay at the castle until it was safe.

When the girl arrived, the hut was in a flurry of activity. "Heads up!" someone called. Kita looked up just in time to catch a basket that sailed through the air towards her head. She glared at her cousin Sano who had thrown it. "Nice catch Kita." he said sheepishly.

"Keh." she replied, not at all unlike her father would have. She tossed the basket onto the pile of things that were ready to be taken Sesshomaru's. "Why do you even need all this stuff Sanosuke?" she asked him. "I mean it's not like this fight is going to last for months. You'll all be back home in four days tops."

"Says you." Keigi answered as he came by with still more stuff. "Uncle Inuyasha says otherwise."

Kita shook her head. "Where is he?" The twins pointed to the hut and the girl went to find Inuyasha.

The half demon was leaning against the wall, his golden eyes following Sango as she went around the hut making sure they had everything they needed, and Miroku who was placing purifying sutras in the corners. His silver ears twitched as his daughter entered the room. "And where've you been then?" he asked without taking his eyes off his friends.

"I went to see Ma." Kita answered. She winced at the sharp look her response elicited from Inuyasha, but continued. "I wasn't alone there either. Saito was in the tree and we had a discussion."

"Bout what?" Inuyasha demanded.

Kita shrugged. "Ma and why we're fighting mostly. But he said that we have two days until he attacks, and that you can pick the location for the fight Papa."

"How very generous of him." Miroku said as he finished blessing his home. He turned his dark eyes to his wife who nodded. "Well Inuyasha, it would appear that we are ready to leave. What is your plan?"

Inuyasha closed his eyes for a minute. "We'll spend today at the castle." he said finally. "Tomorrow Kita and I will leave there and travel to Shikaken. We will smash the brat there."

Miroku and Sango exchanged a glance at that. Shikaken was the name Inuyasha had given the giant crater formed when he and the others had blasted Naraku out of existence. It was about a days walk from their village and half a day from Sesshomaru's castle. Inuyasha still went there sometimes to think.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called from outside. "I've got Shippo and Soten and we're ready to go!"

They emerged from the hut to see Keigi and Sano loading the last of the group's belongings into a cart that Inuyasha had commissioned using his pull as the headman. Kikara was standing nearby flirting with a village boy. Miroku walked over casually and used his staff to smack the lad in the back of the head.

"Into the cart Kikara." he ordered his daughter.

"But Father..."

"In!"

Kagome hid a grin behind her hand and fell into step with Inuyasha. Shippo, Soten, Kita and Kikara piled into the cart and Miroku was riding the horse that pulled it. Sango and the twins were astride Kilala, and Kagome and Inuyasha were walking. The woman's brown eyes searched the half demon's face as they walked along.

"What?" Inuyasha demanded with fake irritability. He was actually very touched that Kagome would worry about him.

"You seem to be handling this okay, I just wanted to make sure." she replied.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, but took her hand. "I'm fine."

Kagome giggled. "Yes, but you would say that even if you weren't." She looked up to where Kita had left the cart and was jumping from tree to tree and then leaned in to whisper in Inuyasha's ear. "How is Kita doing?"

Inuyasha looked up as well, following his daughter's progress and let out a sigh. "She's so good Kagome. And she's holding together well, though she's always been more in control of her temper than _I _ever was. I think she can do this."

"I think you both can do this." Kagome replied. She kissed the half demon on the cheek and turned her face into the gentle breeze that floated around them. "Inuyasha...I've been thinking."

"That's never good." Inuyasha muttered good naturedly.

Kagome punched him on the shoulder and continued. "When this is over and everything has calmed down, I think...I think I'd like to stay here."

Inuyasha flashed his golden eyes to her face. "Stay here, as in, always?"

She nodded. "Yes. I...I had forgotten how much I love it here. And truthfully? Everything I have at home are things that I can be separated from. So even if we decide not to be together, I'm going to stay."

Inuyasha's heart swelled at these words. He wanted nothing more than Kagome to be by his side forever, but it wasn't something he was ready to say just yet. "Kagome...when this is over there are things that I will say to you. But for right now..."

"I understand." Kagome assured him. "We've got time." That wasn't entirely true. Inuyasha had time. As a half demon he still had hundreds of years left to look forward to. Kagome on the other hand was already in her thirties and would not last as long as Inuyasha would. _Unless there's something I can do to change that.. _she thought_._

An hour after midday, the gang arrived at Sesshomaru's castle. Tai was lying on his back on the expansive lawn. Inuyasha flared his nostrils and marched over to his son. He kicked him lightly in the head and the younger half demon opened his eyes and snarled. Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow at his son.

"Sorry Father," the boy said and got up. "It's just been a long day so far. Uncle Sesshomaru is not the easiest of people to persuade."

"Yeah, I've noticed that in the last hundred years or so." Inuyasha countered dryly. "Why are you out here?"

Tai rolled his eyes. "Rin started complaining of stomach pains and Uncle Sesshomaru freaked and ordered every one but Aunt Ana out of the castle. No one knows what's wrong with her."

"Oh for heaven's sake." Kagome snapped. "Of course they don't. What would a castle full of half and full demons know about a pregnancy."

Everyone exchanged surprised looks. "And what do _you_ know of demon babies?" Inuyasha demanded.

"I know how to read and use the Internet Inuyasha." the woman retorted. "People may not believe in demons in my time, but that doesn't stop them from writing about them. I know enough to figure out what's wrong with Rin." She smiled at Taisho. "Take me to them."

He hesitated and Inuyasha smacked him. "Do what she says." he ordered in a voice that clearly said 'learn from my mistakes'.

"Okay okay." Tai agreed. "But if Uncle Sesshomaru tries to melt me with those claws of his then I'm going to-"

His assertion was cut off by a loud shout from one of the high windows of the castle. "INUYASHA! YOU AND YOUR HUMAN GET UP HERE!" The lord of the castle had his head poking out the window and his face was uncharacteristically red.

The entire group was shocked. Either Sesshomaru had a brash twin running around or the usually cold and sophisticated demon lord was rattled about something. There was a loud scream of pain from behind Sesshomaru and he blanched. "NOW!!"

"Bastard, ordering me around." Inuyasha grumbled and seized Kagome around the waist. "Hold on." he cautioned her.

"What are you doing Inuyasha?" Kagome wanted to know.

"He wants us up there, this is the fastest way. Besides, it's not like we haven't done this before."

"Yeah, not in _nineteen years!_"Kagome shrieked as Inuyasha ignored her protests and leapt through the air, landing neatly on the ledge of the window that his brother had just been yelling out of. Kagome gave him a glare that would peel paint and the half demon set her inside the room.

"I'll just go then." Inuyasha said.

"You'll do no such thing." Sesshomaru replied, calmer now that help was in sight. "You've had two children so far and you know more about this than I."

"I wasn't exactly in the room when the pups were born you moron." Inuyasha snapped.

Sesshomaru took two gliding steps, ending up inches from his little brother's face. "My Rin is in pain." he hissed. "You will stay and do what you can while Kagome attends to her. Is that quite clear Inuyasha?"

The half demon glared at his brother but then he saw Kagome's pleading look and how fragile and pale Rin looked on the bed. He swallowed his retort and nodded.

Sesshomaru returned his nod and went over to the bed where Rin was lying. She was indeed very pale and covered with a sheen of sweat. Her breathing was rapid at times, and slow at others. Kagome laid her cool hands against the other woman's face and closed her eyes, breathing deeply. She counted to ten slowly until Rin had stopped whimpering and her breathing got more regular.

"She'll sleep for a bit now." Kagome informed Sesshomaru. She moved her hands from Rin's face to her stomach which was already a good deal bigger than it had been the last time they had seen her. Closing her eyes again, Kagome reached for her spiritual powers. Her energy flowed from her fingers and into the younger woman, surrounding her in a soft blue glow. A smile touched Kagome's lips as she drew her energy back into herself and opened her eyes.

"What did you discover?" Sesshomaru asked anxiously.

"That you need to be a more attentive Father to be." Kagome replied. "This baby is being born a half demon and with pregnancies like this one, both parents need to be involved. Right now the child is only feeling Rin's human aura around it. You need to make your stronger demon aura known to him or her. The demonic aura of your future child is too much for Rin to handle and you need to be there to soothe the kid's demon side."

Sesshomaru nodded. "How is this done?"

"All you have to do is put your hands on her stomach like I did and let some of your demon energy feed into the womb. Such a strong force will calm the baby's restlessness."

The demon lord nodded and inclined his head to Kagome. "I thank you for looking at her." he said stiffly.

"It was no problem Sesshomaru."

"I will have servants bring your belongings to your quarters." he said and swept from the room.

Inuyasha was staring wide eyed at his friend. "How did you know all that?" he demanded.

Kagome shrugged. "I Googled it."

**A/N: Yep. Google works for everything these days. From school assignments to half demon births. Anyway, the first part of the epic clash between Team Inuyasha and The Spawn of Naraku will be next chapter. I am a tad bit busy so unless I get a shit ton of reviews telling me to update quickly, it might be awhile before the next chapter. Sorry for that obnoxious plea for reviews, but I am serious. **


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The rest of that day passed in a flurry of settling in, arguments between Inuyasha and nearly everyone, Tai stealing kisses from the maid, and just general life going on.

There was no dinner in the Grand Hall because Sesshomaru was afraid to leave Rin's side as she slept. Luckily everyone in the castle was well acquainted with fending for themselves.

Around sunset Inuyasha was tired of people wishing him luck in his battle. He was especially tired of Sesshomaru's visiting dog demon dignitaries telling him to bring honor to the clan. So he escaped to the roof of the castle to be alone.

As the last rays of sunlight slipped beneath the horizon, Inuyasha sighed. The way things were going now, his life seemed really good. Kagome was back, his pups were happy, hell _he _was happy. All he had to do was defeat this last enemy and then everything would presumably be alright. The half demon sighed in contentment. Moments later his ears perked as he heard footsteps behind him.

"See Kagome, I told you that he would be here." Miroku said as he Sango, Shippo, and Kagome emerged onto the turret that Inuyasha was sitting on and planted themselves around him. "Are you thinking very deeply Inuyasha?" the former monk inquired.

"Not anymore apparently." Inuyasha muttered. "What are you guys doing out here?"

"We thought we'd come and sit with you Inuyasha, to you know, show our support before your battle." Kagome replied.

"Just like old times." Shippo added with a small smile at his friend.

"Thanks, then." The half demon muttered and ducked his head to hide his blush. He leaned closer to Kagome and she rested her head on his shoulder. The group fell silent as the sun set.

The next morning dawned cool and clear. Kita was roused from her slumber by a large and heavy weight that planted itself firmly on her legs. "What the hell!" she screeched.

"Hello, love." Volug's quiet voice replied. He grinned down at her as she gaped at him. "Your mouth is open Kita."

"You scared the _shit _out of me." the girl hissed. She punched him in the arm and then kissed him firmly.

"Your father says that it's time to go." Volug murmured against her lips. He sat back and sighed. "I wish you didn't have to do this."

"I know, but...I do."

"Yes. I know." Vol said with another sigh. "And so, since you must do this, it's time to get up. Inuyasha has been ready since the sun rose."

"That's my Papa." Kita replied and vaulted out of her bed. She slipped her wide legged pants and kimono top on and thrust her sword into place. Kita closed her eyes and sent a prayer to the spirits, who hopefully her mother was one of, and set a look of determination upon her face. "Ready." she said at last.

Kita and Volug made their way through the castle together. The wolf kept one arm around the girl as she gripped the hilt of her sword nervously. Inuyasha was standing in the entrance way of the castle with Kagome at his side. He smiled when he saw his daughter approaching.

"You ready Kita?" he asked her. His tone indicated that there was still time for her to reconsider if she wished.

Volug squeezed her hand and Kita met her father's molten amber eyes with her own. "Let's go."

Inuyasha nodded and then looked down at Kagome. "Stay safe." he ordered her gently. "You'd better be just like I left you when I get back here, you hear me?"

Kagome nodded and lowered her eyes. When she looked back up, they sparkled with unshed tears. "You had better come back Inuyasha, or I swear I'll kill you myself."

The half demon chuckled. "Don't worry Kagome. We'll be back before you know it." He leaned down and kissed her gently on the mouth. "I'll see you soon." He motioned for Kita and Vol to follow him and they headed off through the forest.

About halfway in, Volug shifted into his wolf form and Inuyasha and Kita leapt to the trees. The girl grinned at her father and then called down to her boyfriend. "Hey Vol! We'll race you to Shikaken." Volug had never actually been there, but the crater was impossible to miss.

The wolf howled in response and raced off. The half dog demons pushed off from their branched and sped through the foliage.

Inuyasha landed at the edge of the crater, Shikaken, a second before Kita did and Volug galloped into view a few seconds later. The crater was as massive as ever. Even after almost twenty years, things still refused to grow in it because of the strong demonic aura that was still present. No grasses or moss grew past the rim of the enormous depression.

Kita and Vol stared openmouthed at Shikaken. It was so large that their hut could have been situated comfortably inside with room to spare.

"This is where Naraku was blasted from existence." Inuyasha intoned formally. "This is where we'll do the same to his son." He took a sweeping look at Shikaken and then drew a deep breath. "Let's get started."

Kita and Inuyasha spent the rest of the day sparring with each other and Volug. The Kasei Tenchi did not release it's flaming attack, though Kita could swear that she felt it heating up as the day wore on.

As the sun set on the crater, Volug lit a fire and began to prepare dinner for the three of them as father and daughter continued to clash swords. Inuyasha had won every match that day, even though Kita and Volug more than held their own. The half wolf demon set the rabbits he'd caught to cooking and sat back to watch the rest of the battle.

The two of them seemed nothing more than a blur of red, silver, and black. Occasionally they would slow down as they bore down on each other. It was the final time that was the most amazing. Kita whirled around slamming the Kasei Tenchi up against the Tetsusaiga with a mighty CLANG. Inuyasha tried to use his weight to overpower the girl, but she held strong. She broke the connection and rolled under her father's sword. Kita got to her feet and swung her sword around.

"Gotta move faster than that to beat me!" Inuyasha taunted and blocked her move. "Like this!" He sent the Tetsusaiga straight towards Kita's jugular. She grinned deviously as she blocked him.

"Trying to take your daughter's neck? How shameful." The girl rose on one toe and held her sword out to the side with her arms outstretched. Inuyasha put the Tetsusaiga up, ready to defend. Instead of heading straight towards him as Inuyasha had expected, Kita whirled to the side of him and then used the velocity of her movement to get in her father's defense. When she came to a stop the Kasei Tenchi was hooked under Tetsusaiga. Kita grinned and jerked on her sword, sending the older one flying. "And that Papa, is how it's done." She wiped her face of sweat and took a bow as Vol applauded.

Inuyasha was a little in awe. "How the hell are you so much better than I was at your age?" he demanded.

Kita smiled and patted his cheek before sheathing her sword and plopping down next to her boyfriend. "Well you didn't have you as a teacher growing up." she replied sweetly.

The three devoured their food quickly and Kita, tired from the day, fell asleep against her father's shoulder not long after.

Inuyasha looked down at her as she slept. "She looks so determined, even in her sleep." he murmured.

"Of course she does. She's hella strong too. She kicked your ass after all." Vol retorted.

Inuyasha smirked and hit the wolf over the head playfully. "Go to sleep wolf boy. Tomorrow's gonna be hell."

The morning was anything but hellish. In fact, it was beautiful. Inuyasha scowled at the sky when he woke up, as if it were mocking him. He leaned over and prodded Kita awake. "Up." he said briskly. "It's time to be on alert." The half demons got up and packed away their camping things. Inuyasha and Kita never let their clawed hands stray far from their sword hilts.

They had finished up when a voice interrupted their peace. "Shikaken." it murmured. "I haven't been here since it was created." Saito. Naraku's son strode over to the group. "Good morning all." he stopped in front of Volug. "I don't believe we've met."

Vol glanced at Kita and she came forward. "This is Volug." she said simply. "He is not a part of this."

Saito frowned. "He's a loved one then? You brought a loved one to watch you die?"

"I have no intention of dying Saito. In fact I have every intention of walking away from this battle with my loved one and leaving you broken."

"Ambitious goal, little sister." Saito returned. "Let this battle commence and we shall see."

Volug kissed Kita firmly on the mouth and leaped into a tree. Inuyasha and Kita nodded at each other, unsheathed their swords, and moved into fighting positions. "Come Saito." Inuyasha growled. "Earn your parentage."

The half demon froze and looked confused. "My parentage? Explain please."

"Kikyo was brave and strong and knew how to look after herself, for all she was a cold woman. Naraku was a coward. You will prove today which you take after." Inuyasha explained.

Saito narrowed his eyes. "I am neither of them. They were both weak." He outstretched his arm and opened his hand. A thick red miasma shot from his palm and enveloped the crater.

_Same old tricks as his bastard of a Father._ Inuyasha thought. He held his breath and nodded at Kita. She swung her sword and cleaved through the thick fog of poison. The miasma started disappearing where she had cut it and was soon gone. Kita smirked triumphantly and that gave Saito just enough time to unsheathe his sword and send it flying at the girl.

The blade was as dark as obsidian with a hilt that was crimson. It flew towards Kita and she leaped over it. Inuyasha swung the Tetsusaiga to knock the sword out of the air.

"Not so fast." Saito murmured and sent a burst of power at his blade. Inuyasha found himself blocking blows from the sword with no wielder.

"Just like Naraku." he spat as he fought the sword. "Always hiding somewhere pulling the strings."

"Stop. Comparing me. To him." Saito growled out. He sent more power at the sword, aiming it this time for Inuyasha's neck.

Kita saw this and knocked her father out of the way. She barely missed getting her arm cut off and still ended up with a pretty deep cut that started bleeding profusely. "Oh fuck it all." she muttered. Of course she had minimal healing powers since her mother had been a priestess of the highest order. Kita healed her wound just enough to make it stop bleeding. Anything else would have sapped her strength too much.

She looked up in time to see Saito heading towards her. He wrapped a smooth hand around her neck and lifted the girl into the air. "I wonder how long it will take to break your pretty little neck." Saito murmured and tightened his hold.

Inuyasha roared and sliced clean through Saito's arm, allowing Kita to jump back and rip the arm away from her jugular.

"Stalling." Kikyo's son said eloquently. He waited patiently for his arm to reattach itself. Inuyasha took that opportunity to run him through with Tetsusaiga. Saito rolled his eyes and grabbed the elder half demon's arm. He pulled Inuyasha closer to him and the giant sword slid farther into his body. "And for my next trick..." Saito murmured. He placed his hand on Inuyasha's chest, sending a power burst through his arm.

The force of the raw power sent Inuyasha flying backwards and yanked the Tetsusaiga from Saito's gut. Inuyasha slammed into the tree that Volug was perched in with such tremendous force that the wolf fell from the tree and Inuyasha was sure he had cracked a few ribs himself.

Quick as lightning, Saito was beside Vol, blade in hand. "I will now teach you why it is folly to bring loved ones to a battle you are sure to lose." The ebony blade inched it's way towards Volug's neck.

Kita stood up and snarled. "Don't you fucking touch him!" Both hands were grasping the Kasei Tenchi which seemed to glow with the power of her anger.

"I am only teaching a lesson, dear sister." He pressed the sword to Vol's neck and made to slice through it.

"FUCK. YOU!" Kita screamed and ran at him.

A/N: Oooooh a cliffie! Sorry that this update was so long in coming. I've had half of it typed and the other half in my notebook and I was just too lazy to finish typing it. Oh and I need you guys to help me out with something. Do you think they should kill Saito, or just incapacitate him and try to make him a better person? I could go either way, but I wanna know what you think. Anyway with that said, REVIEW!


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"_Stalling." Kikyo's son said eloquently. Inuyasha took that opportunity to run him through with Tetsusaiga. Saito rolled his eyes and grabbed the elder half demon's arm. "And for my next trick..." Saito murmured. He placed his hand on Inuyasha's chest, sending a power burst through his arm._

_The force of the raw power sent Inuyasha flying backwards and yanked the Tetsusaiga from Saito's gut. Inuyasha slammed into the tree that Volug was perched in with such tremendous force that the wolf fell from the tree and Inuyasha was sure he had cracked a few ribs himself. _

_Saito was beside Vol, blade in hand. "I will now teach you why it is folly to bring loved ones to a battle you are sure to lose." The ebony blade inched it's way towards Volug's neck. _

_He pressed the sword to Vol's neck and made to slice through it._

"_FUCK. YOU!" Kita screamed and ran at him._

Time seemed to stand still for Inuyasha. He was slumped on the ground, his sides aching from the injuries he sustained when he'd slammed against the tree. Fear climbed into his chest in an icy wave as he watched his daughter tear past him, headed straight for Saito. He could sense raw demonic energy shooting from Kita's body. For the umpteenth time he was truly grateful for Totosai's sword crafting skills. If it weren't for the sword that he had crafted for Kita, the young half demon would have transformed by now and turned Shikaken into a bloody battle field.

"Kita!" Inuyasha shouted, grimacing from the pain. The Kasei Tenchi was gripped in Kita's hands and was glowing faintly. The closer she got to Saito and Volug, the more the sword glowed and pulsed. She was so engrossed in stopping her half brother from killing her boyfriend that she ignored her father and the sword.

Kita skidded to a stop in front of Saito. "Let him go..." she growled dangerously. "He isn't a part of this."

"Oh but he is." Saito replied. "Anyone who sets foot on a battle field in a part of the battle. Hostages are an integral part of any fight."

Kita growled low and dangerously. Volug's eyes widened as he saw his girlfriend become more and more feral. "Kita, be careful." he muttered.

"The time for caution has passed." Saito assured him. "Now there can be only death."

"I second that." Kita responded. When asked later what had happened next, the girl could only explain it as if her sword had temporarily taken over her body. She could feel her demon energy rising up and flowing through her hands into the sword's hilt. The Kasei Tenchi sucked up the power and began to glow scarlet and heat up in Kita's hands. Her eyes changed to match the color of her sword. "Volug get away." she said in a voice much deeper than her own.

Volug used the distraction his girlfriend was causing to elbow Saito in the chest and leap away and back up into the tree. "What is she doing?" he called down to Inuyasha.

"How the fuck should I know?" The elder half demon grunted.

"You're her _father_!"

"Yeah, but I-" Inuyasha's retort died in his mouth as he watched flames erupt from Kita's sword.

"Now what were you saying about death?" She taunted. The flames shot from the sword and circled around Saito.

"As I said, we are not so different sister." Saito murmured. "So come death and welcome."

"Well said." Kita pointed with her sword and the flames engulfed her half brother. The three of them could hear his screams as his flesh was melted from his body. Suddenly Kita crumpled to the ground. Her eyes reverted back to their natural color and the flames on the sword died out. She watched with sad eyes as Saito was being consumed. "No..." she whispered. "No." With her last remaining bit of power she called the fire back into her sword. They resisted for a bit, then obeyed, filling the Kasei Tenchi with a crimson glow before it dulled. Kita sighed with relief and fainted.

Saito crumpled to the ground, wide eyed. He stared at nothing as his flesh regenerated. He had not been consumed by the flames completely, so he could still make his body whole again. "Why...why didn't she kill me?" he asked aloud.

"Because she's _nothing _like_ you._" Inuyasha snarled as he got to his feet. "She has more of your precious _honor_ in one of her dog ears than you have in your whole being. That is why you still live." The half demon picked up the Tetsusaiga and pointed it in Saito's face. "I could change that, if you want me to end your miserable life."

"No..." Saito whispered. "I...I want to understand. Why are you both so..."

Inuyasha cracked the young man over the head with the side of Tetsusaiga. "Shaddup." Saito fell over and was out cold. Inuyasha sheathed his sword, leaned down and lifted the unconscious Saito up and over his shoulder, wincing when his broken ribs protested.

"Are you sure you should be doing that?" Volug asked, jumping down from his tree. "I'm sure you have at least three broken ribs from that blow to the back. And why are we taking him with us anyway?"

Inuyasha looked up at the clear blue sky. "Kikyo wouldn't have wanted..." he paused and tried again. "She cared about this fool. It's the least I can do. Now stop yapping and get Kita."

Vol nodded and pulled Kita onto his back. Together they made their way away from the crater. They traveled quickly, but carefully, stopping only a couple of times. They were back at the Castle of the West by nightfall.

Anaketsu was flying around when she spotted them walking up to the castle. Her eyes widened at the sight of Kita unconscious on Vol's back. "What happened?" she cried as she flew down to them.

"Calm down Ana. No one's dead." Inuyasha said before his sister could jump to conclusions.

"Thank- wait. No one?" She glared at Saito's comatose form. "Why is he alive?"

"Kita spared him." Vol jumped in when Inuyasha looked uncomfortable. "Most likely because they are siblings."

Ana looked suspiciously at them. "If that's what she wants." the half bat demon replied finally. "Come on, Kagome's got a makeshift infirmary all set up for you. She said that no matter when you came back, you'd need healing."

Inuyasha smiled. "She always knows, that Kagome." No sooner had he said her name, than the woman stuck her head out the door. She squeaked when she saw Inuyasha standing outside.

"Inuyasha! You're alive!" Kagome shouted and ran to him.

"You doubted me?" The half demon asked with a smug grin. Kagome plowed into him painfully. "Ow! Mind the broken ribs wench!"

Kagome let go of him and stood back. "Broken ribs?" she scowled. Then she noticed Kita on Volug's back, and Saito who had been dumped unceremoniously on the ground when Kagome ran up. She sighed and shook her head. "Nothing's ever simple with you half demons is it? Come on into the castle and we'll fix you up."

Inuyasha slung an arm around Kagome's waist and the two of them headed back to the castle with Vol following with Kita. "Ana. Get the whelp. Kita didn't spare him just to have him die from exposure."

Ana rolled her eyes at her brother and picked up the spawn of Naraku.

Kita was floating. She was floating on a sea of...something soft, with something else soft and furry nestled beside her. The girl opened her amber eyes slowly. As she took inventory of her situation, everything came back to her. The fight, how she had finally mastered the power of her sword, well...used it anyway, and sparing Saito. She had almost killed her half brother, but at the last minute she changed her mind. Or she changed the sword's mind.

Suddenly, all train of thought was lost as the pain set in. Her arm was throbbing with every breath she took. Kita made to move it and that roused the warm furry weight that was resting against her. Vol was in his wolf form and he looked like he had been at her side for a while. From the light filtering in from the window Kita could tell that it was daytime, but it had been day when she'd collapsed in battle as well. So she had no idea how long she had been out.

Volug turned his face to hers and his purple eyes widened. He shifted back into his human form and grabbed Kita, hugging her to his chest. "Don't you ever do that again." He whispered into her hair.

"Sorry." she murmured.

The wolf kissed her forehead and headed to the door. "Inuyasha!" he called. "She's up!"

"Finally!" the half demon called back. A door slammed somewhere and Inuyasha came rushing into the room with Kagome on his heels.

"Slow down you baka. Your ribs are still healing. And I still have to set your wrist to make sure it heals straight." the woman shouted.

"I just wanna make sure she's alright." Inuyasha fired back. "Then you can do what you want with me."

"Papa..." Kita said. "Do as you're told."

"Don't you lecture me daughter." Inuyasha snapped. "What were you thinking, running at him like that? You could have been killed."

Kita scowled. "Yes Father. But remember if you will, that you also ran at Saito and that you got three broken ribs to pay for it."

"Actually it was four broken and one cracked." Kagome put in. "But you, Miss Kita got two of the tendons in your arm severed, so you won't be using it for a few days."

Inuyasha crossed to his daughter's bed and kissed her on the forehead. "You hear that?" He demanded. "Rest. No running around, or sparring with Tai, _or anything else physical.._." he added with a sharp look in Vol's direction.

"Yes Papa. Yes Kagome." Kita agreed meekly.

The elder half demon smiled. "I'm proud of you kid." he said gruffly. "You fight with your head and your heart." he patted her awkwardly on her uninjured arm and then left the room, dragging Volug behind him.

Kagome shook her head and turned to Kita. "I heard what happened." She remarked. "You're so much like your father."

Kita giggled. "Not _too _much." she corrected. "After all, I intend to rest up until I'm healed. Good luck making Papa slow down."

The two females could hear Inuyasha shouting something about not needing to lie down because "his body was different." Kagome shook her head. "Just like old times." she muttered on her way out. Once she was alone, Kita drifted back off to sleep.

Tai let himself into his sister's room about an hour later. Kita was still asleep as he looked her over. She looked so peaceful in her sleep. In fact, if it weren't for her heavily bandaged and splinted arm, no one would know that she had just returned from a battle for her life. Tai was amazed. If it had been him he would have been plagued by nightmares about blood and death. Was his little sister really that much stronger than him? It seemed so.

The half demon sat down on the edge of the bed and took Kita's hand in his. "Kee..." he began, using his childhood nickname for her. "Why?"

"Why did I save him, or why did I go in the first place?" Kita's eyes snapped open and she gave her brother a small smile.

"I was going to ask why am I such a coward." Tai corrected her.

"You aren't a coward Taisho." Kita said firmly. "You're just different. You're more like Ma."

"Don't say that!" the young man exclaimed. "I don't wanna be like her. It's because of her that you and Father had to get into this mess. It's because of her that you almost had to kill...I-I don't want to be like her."

Kita shook her head. "You're focusing too much on the bad part of Ma. There were good parts as well. She was caring and warm. She looked after the village children who had no one else. She even went out of her way to make sure that Saito was looked after. Ma wasn't all that bad."

"You're right, but..." Tai looked away. "I'd much rather be like you or Father, or hell even Uncle Sesshomaru."

"Tai, be you." Kita murmured. "You don't have to be me, or Father, or anyone but yourself. We all like you the way you are. I know I do."

"Thank you Kita." Tai said finally. "I'm glad to know that you aren't disappointed in me."

"Never." his sister replied. The siblings sat in silence for a moment. Then Kita spoke up, "Do you know where Saito is? I want to speak with him."

"He's supposed to be resting in one of the rooms on this corridor, but I saw him heading out a while ago. I mean, I guess he doesn't need to rest since he rejuvenates and all. You did a good thing Kita, by not killing him."

"I thought so." The girl got out of bed slowly. "I'm going to go find him."

"Why? You're supposed to be resting. You and Father don't rejuvenate you know."

"I know, but...he deserves to know why I let him live. Saito was welcoming death, and I took his chance. He deserves...something."

Tai nodded. "Come on, I'll go with you. After all he's _my_ half brother as well."

**A/N: So that's what happens. Most people who reviewed expressed the feelings that Saito should not be killed. At least not yet. I'm kinda glad too, I have much I can do with this character. Anyway, I'm going to try and squeeze out _one _more chapter before I leave school for the summer. My access to the internet will be limited over summer break so I'll update when I can. But expect it to take a couple of weeks. I just want to tie this whole Saito thing up first so we can get back to the reason most of you are here. Some good old InuKag action. Please review and tell me what you thought of my resolution to this battle.**


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Saito was standing on a cliff that over looked the vast expanse of forest that flanked the Castle of the West. He heaved a sigh and studied the ground below his perch. How hard would he have to throw himself to just end it right then and there? If it wasn't forceful enough then he would survive or one of the soul collectors he had inherited from his mother would swoop in and foil his plans.

Why had they saved him? All his plans had been foiled by that meddlesome pair of inu hanyou. He had been striving to kill them and then he was going to take himself out and join his parents in hell. It had seemed like the only option he had at that time. Now though...he wasn't sure what his options were.

His half sister, who was more than he ever expected her to be, had spared him. She had tapped power that could have wiped him off the face of the Earth and then pulled it back, draining herself in the process. Once that was a bust, Saito had at least expected the elder dog to finish the job. After all, the son of Naraku could see the revulsion that swam in Inuyasha's eyes whenever he looked at him. But even he let him live. Saito just couldn't understand it.

As he stood there, his senses became alert and he knew that his half siblings were headed towards him. Saito's ruby eyes flicked back to the promise of death below him. It had to be now, or he probably wouldn't have another chance. It was now, or most certainly never. His eyes flicked back and forth rapidly. Oh fuck it. The spawn of Naraku and a clay priestess sank to his knees on the cliff and hung his head. Who was he kidding? He was much too curious about his mother's real family to end it now.

Kita and Taisho walked up just in time to see Saito sink to the ground. They exchanged a glance when they realized just how close to the edge of the cliff their half brother was. "You know, it would be awfully ungrateful of you to jump now, after Kita and Father spared you and all." Tai said quickly. Kita said nothing just allowed her golden stare to bore itself into Saito's back.

The ruby eyed hanyou turned around to face his siblings. "I want to understand." he said slowly. "Why am I still alive? You must know that I cannot completely change. I am still very much a threat to you and your family."

Tai rolled his eyes. "If it had've been up to me, you would have been torched yesterday. So I'm not the one you should ask."

Saito looked to Kita instead. The girl walked closer to him. "Tell me Saito, did you really want to be killed?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yes. After I had killed you, Inuyasha, and the wolf, I was going to kill myself. This world has never held a place for me. I was going to give myself to the mercy of hell and my parents who burn there."

Kita let a look of pure disgust take over her face and before she knew what had happened, she had slapped Saito across the face. Luckily she was left handed and it was her right arm that was damaged. Saito didn't even flinch. He just twisted his head back and looked back into Kita's eyes.

Tai gave his sister a shocked look and she shrugged. "I'm sorry, but that was bull shit." she said. "So what if your father was a bastard? Justice was served on him. You should be grateful for Papa and his friends for that. Hell, even our mother had a part in his death. Opting to die and go to hell with your hatred is just a cop out."

"What would you know about it?" Saito asked through gritted teeth.

"You think I don't hate my parents sometimes?" Kita retorted. "My father is the most stubborn half demon in the Western Lands and my mother...well you know all about her. But I don't let that affect who I am."

"But you were _wanted._" Saito insisted. "I was created out of spite and hatred for another, by two people who were so consumed by their hate that they never let any love in. Your parents loved you. I was merely tolerated and then used as an instrument of revenge. I have never known love."

"Oh stop whining already." Tai snapped. "Mother loved you in the end. She spent the last of her strength making sure that you were going to be alright. Kita and I hardly ever knew our mother's love. She was always so busy with the village children and _you. _You want love?" Saito nodded slowly. "Then stop being such a pompous ass and get to know your family. Stop wallowing in your self pity and loathing and go make some friends. Let your past go."

These words made sense. Saito could hear the sincerity that rang with every word Taisho spoke. It astounded him. Here were these two, his half siblings, who's family he'd tried to destroy. Two who wouldn't have ever been born if Naraku had've gotten his way. Two who had every reason to hate him. Yet they were offering a second chance. They were offering him... "family?" He said the last aloud.

Kita nodded. "We are after all siblings. And don't worry about Papa. The fact that he didn't kill you himself after I passed out means that he isn't too upset. In fact, he probably can understand why you did what you did. So...what do you say?"

Saito looked up at his half sister and brother, then back at the edge of the cliff. Chances were that his mother had done enough good in her new life to avoid hell, and he had no desire to see Naraku again. Maybe a real family wouldn't be so bad. He nodded and got to his feet. "Thank you." he murmured.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Inuyasha glared at his daughter's back as she slipped back into her room. What part of rest didn't she understand? He, after all had a reason to be up and about. Sesshomaru had called him down to his study to discuss what kind of threat remained in Saito. As much as the hanyou hated to admit it, he had no idea. Kita seemed to know what she was dong in regards to her half brother, but that answer would hardly fly with Sesshomaru. So Inuyasha decided to speak to Saito himself.

Tai strolled by, coming from the direction of the room Saito had been placed in and Inuyasha started to question his son. "Do not look at me. I know nothing." the boy said and kept walking. Inuyasha glared at him and went to Saito's room. He only had one question really.

"Why are you alive still?" Saito wasn't even startled when his door flew open and the red clad half demon came storming in.

He fixed the older hanyou with a ruby stare. "I want...to learn...about family and...love. Kita and Taisho said that I could learn if I changed. So I was thinking that maybe...change isn't so bad."

Inuyasha was surprised. This was the first time since he had met the whelp that he had heard him sound like the youth that he was. He even looked younger, it was as if a great weight had been lifted off of his shoulders and all the pressure that his parentage had put on him was gone. Inuyasha leaned against the wall. "That so?" he asked.

Saito nodded and gave him a little smile. "I figured that my mother wanted me to be something and not spend my life consumed with hatred and vengeance."

"She didn't want you to end up like that bastard Naraku." Inuyasha told him.

"I almost did, but I told myself that it was for noble reasons. But when I faced you and Kita in battle I saw what honor and nobility truly was. I want to thank you for that."

"Keh." Inuyasha scoffed gruffly. "Don't thank me. I'd have sooner seen you dead like your shit of a father." He fixed the boy with a glare. "And if you ever misplace the trust that we are placing in you, you will be wiped out with no mercy. Got that?" Saito nodded quickly. "Good. Oh and stay away from my brother for a while. He's not convinced yet."

"Your brother?"

"Lord of this castle." Inuyasha explained. "Cold bastard, no emotions, blank look. You can't miss him. His mate is with a pup and his usual icicle is wedged even farther up his ass than normal. He won't thin twice about ripping your head off. Stay near Kita and Tai until we leave here and you should be fine." Inuyasha scratched an ear and headed for the door.

"Thank you, Inuyasha." Saito called after him.

"Whatever." The half demon responded waving over his shoulder, concealing a small grin.

**A/N: Finally that arc is over. So Saito is going to be a member of the family as long as he doesn't cross the overly anxious Lord Sesshomaru. Anyway, this is going to be the last update for a few weeks. I am going home and the internet will be scarce. I have like six papers to get written in the next five days so wish me luck and REVIEW. That will make my semester end with a bang! **


	19. Chapter 18

Ah. It feels good to be back. My absence is explained in the author's note at the end of the chapter. I just want to say one thing first.

**WARNING!!** There is major Inu/Kag action ahead. And I do mean **action**. The rating has been upped as a result. That is all.

Chapter 18

"Rin. You are supposed to be resting."

The young woman turned her head and smiled at her mate. "I am resting Sesshomaru." she said sweetly. Her hands were full of flowers that she had been picking in the garden. She lowered herself gently onto the ground. "Come sit with me."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, but walked over to the girl and folded his willowy body onto the ground beside her. "What are you doing out here?" he asked.

Rin shrugged. "You know I've always loved flowers. I thought that I'd gather some for the baby's room."

"Rin." Sesshomaru said again. "Do you think that our heir will be the kind of child who will enjoy things such as flowers?"

The girl sighed. "I had hoped so. I know that you will have to teach our child to be stronger because it will be a half demon. And I know that there will be lessons about how to rule these lands and continue the legacy that you and Inuyasha took up from your father. But...can there not also be time for fun and love?" Rin turned her face up to Sesshomaru.

The demon lord looked into her eyes and was surprised as always at the feeling of love that erupted in his chest. He pulled Rin to him and kissed her on the forehead. "We shall see." he said.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Inuyasha can we please stop for the night?" Kagome was begging. She, Inuyasha, Kita, Tai, and Saito had left the Castle of the West a couple of hours ago and now it was growing ever darker. Inuyasha was not happy. Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Soten, Kilala and the kids had set out days ago with their supplies, headed back to the village. Kagome wanted to stay and make sure that Rin's pregnancy was coming along alright. The only way she had gotten Inuyasha to agree was to remind him that if she didn't get to perform her checkup now, they'd just have to come back in a few days.

So now they were in the middle of the forest, about three and a half hours from their home. "Kagome we're almost there." Inuyasha complained.

"Father, give it a rest. Let's just stop ." Tai snapped. He was not happy either. It was the first night of the crescent moon, his period of vulnerability. In other words, Kagome wasn't the only human traveling with them that night.

"Fine!" the elder half demon barked. "But in the time that it takes you guys to get set up, we could be home."

"He has a point." Kita remarked. "If we keep moving, we'll be home before midnight."

"And if you'd just let us carry you guys, we could move faster still." Saito added. He had been steadily coming out of his shell over the days they had been in Sesshomaru's home. It seemed as if the young man might truly be reformed.

"Alright, alright." Kagome agreed.

Inuyasha stared at her. It was the first time in...it seemed like forever, that he had won an argument over what to do. "Um...yeah. Okay then. I'll take Kagome. Kita can carry Tai."

"I don't want to be carried." Taisho said sullenly.

Kita giggled and grabbed her older brother, hoisting him onto her back. "Aw, stop bellyaching Tai. Just enjoy the ride." She nodded at her father, who was similarly carrying Kagome. All the half demons took off and they made it back to the village in two hours. There was no more discussion until the next morning.

Inuyasha rose with the sun as he always seemed to. He had a goal this time though. He came out of the cramped hut and walked down the path to a hut that was a little ways away from his own. He had asked Miroku and Shippo to unload Kita, Tai, and Volug's things in it. Now that the wolf was back and they had another mouth to feed in addition to Saito, the hut that Inuyasha had built for his family was too cramped for comfort. So it was time for all the pups to move out.

Everything looked fine, and Miroku had even gone so far as to place sutras for health and protection around inside the hut. "No guarantees that those work." the half demon muttered to himself. Even after all these years he was not convinced that Miroku was a legitimate monk.

Since all was in order, Inuyasha turned back home. When he arrived, Kagome was making breakfast and the kids had gone off to bathe. "We were stepping all over each other." Kagome told him.

"That'll soon be taken care of." Inuyasha assured her. He kissed her on the cheek and looked up suspiciously as Kita and Volug came back in, both damp and flushed. Tai and Saito filed in not long after, and once breakfast had been eaten Inuyasha stood up. "You, you, you, and you." he pointed at his pups, Vol and Saito. "Come with me."

They all exchanged confused looks and followed him out. He led them to the new hut. "Papa?" Kita ventured. "Who lives here?"

"You do." Inuyasha replied. "You and Tai, Volug and Saito. With all the extra people we seem to be collecting it's too crowded at home. So I'm kicking you guys out."

Tai high-fived Vol and Saito smiled. Kita gave her father a hug. "Thank you Papa." she said.

"Whatever." Inuyasha grumbled. "Just don't blow the place up and...make sure you come visit or something every once in a while. Kagome would like that." Tai and Kita grinned at him and dragged Vol inside their new home.

Saito hung back. "Thank you for this Inuyasha." he said. "It means a lot that you're trusting me to live with your family."

The hanyou nodded and abruptly walked away. He sighed as he headed back to his own home. This was a monumental moment in the life of a half demon, the day when they got to live on their own. "Too bad Kikyo never got to see it." Inuyasha muttered to himself.

When he arrived back at the hut, Kagome was waiting for him with a tender smile on her face. "Was it very hard?" she asked. "Letting them go off on their own?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Keh. It's about time they learned to fend for themselves. I was a lot younger'n them when I had to take care of myself."

The woman came forward and wrapped her arms around the half demon. She had learned to read his brush offs well and knew that he was going to miss having his kids with him. They had been his only family for so long. "Oh Inuyasha." Kagome said and stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the nose. "They'll come back to visit. And now, we have space to ourselves."

Inuyasha smiled and leaned down to kiss her. "I was wondering if my life was going to get all boring now that the fight's over."

"I won't let it." Kagome promised and led him back into the hut. She was a bit nervous about what she was about to do. All the two of them had done was swap a few kisses in the past. Never had they moved past that.

They kisses passionately a few more times and then Kagome moved away from Inuyasha. "What's wrong?" he asked her. "Is this too fast?"

"And too slow." The woman answered. She didn't even have to turn around to see the confused look on her beloved's face. "Inuyasha, there's something that I've never done before. I wanted you to be the first one I..." she trailed off.

Inuyasha walked over to her and lifted her chin, making her look at him. "Never?" he queried. "Even after all this time?"

Kagome shrugged. "I wanted you to be my first. Inuyasha, you're the only one I've ever loved."

"And you're the only one that I've ever _really_ loved." the half demon said sincerely. "Kikyo, she..." Inuyasha faltered. "I loved her but...it...it wasn't _enough_. It was never enough." He caught a strand of Kagome's hair and twisted it around his finger, then tucked it behind her ear.

"Inuyasha." Kagome whispered. "I don't mean to make myself sound like I'm better than Kikyo, or anything, but...I was never sure of your love. Still...it was enough to keep me here, with you."

She turned her face away, but Inuyasha gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Kagome, your very presence was enough for me. I...love you so much." He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her passionately until she was breathless. Inuyasha growled against her lips and let the heat he felt flood his golden eyes.

Kagome gasped and pressed her face against Inuyasha's neck. "We'd better stop, if you still want to go slow in this." she panted.

"I'm tired of second guessing my feelings. I was only saying slow because I was afraid. Afraid to lose you again, and maybe even afraid to have you. Afraid that maybe even after everything we'd been through together, you might get tired of me." Inuyasha swore. "But I'm tired of worrying about all that."

"I'll never get tired of you." Kagome vowed. "Never ever ever." This time _she_ leaned up and initiated the kiss. Their lips grappled against each other until their lips parted, allowing their tongues to touch and entwine like their bodies wanted to.

They were pressed so tightly together that Kagome could feel that Inuyasha was enjoying their kiss as much as she was. "Say yes, Kagome. Say yes and let me prove how much I love you." Inuyasha growled out.

"Yes." the woman managed to say.

Inuyasha took charge then, bearing Kagome down to the floor. He lay on top of her, making sure not to rest all his weight on her body. The half demon traced his fingers along the woman's body, following her curves with his claws. "Damn, for once I wish you still wore those skimpy skirt things." he muttered. "Oh well." He grasped the sides of her jeans and ripped them until he could slide them down her legs. Her shirt quickly met the same fate. Inuyasha became frustrated when he saw that she had still another layer for him to remove and growled his impatience.

Kagome giggled and hurried to remove her underwear. Once her milky skin was bared before Inuyasha's eyes, the woman began to blush. She had always thought of herself as pretty, but not beautiful like Kikyo had been. She worried that Inuyasha would feel the same. But when the half demon pulled back and raked his hungry eyes over her bare body, her fears were chased away.

"You're beautiful, Kagome." Inuyasha assured her, as if he had read her mind. He cupped her breasts in his hands, lightly stroking his thumbs across the nipples until Kagome was gasping and little pleasure noises fell from her lips.

"Not...fair." she managed to pant out. "Why am I the only one naked?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, and rolled off of her so that the could quickly disrobe. When he was just down to his birthday suit, he got back on top of Kagome. The woman had never seen Inuyasha naked before, accidentally or otherwise. Her eyes widened as she took him in. Everything on him was smooth and muscled. _Everything. _Kagome wriggled in anticipation of the length of him sliding inside of her.

She had no sooner thought this than something did slide inside of her. Kagome moaned and glanced down to see Inuyasha slipping another finger into her. "Careful...the claws." she murmured.

Inuyasha nodded and began to pump his fingers in and out. He had a wondrously happy look on his face as Kagome cried out under him. Finally, he removed his fingers and grabbed Kagome's hips, slowly and carefully sliding his most intimate part into hers. He knew from Kikyo that the first time hurt, so he went carefully to cause her as little pain as he could. Inuyasha met resistance within Kagome's body and he pushed a little harder.

Kagome winced and made a small sound. Then Inuyasha was in. The woman met her lover's amber eyes with her chocolate ones as he thrust inside of her. They stayed that way, bodies melded together, eyes locked, until the shadows grew long and evening arrived.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Oh my...god." Kagome flopped back against the hut's wooden floor, sweat trickling down her sides. "That was..."

Inuyasha grinned and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her to his chest. "It was great." he supplied.

Kagome nodded and placed a kiss on her half demon's chest. He grinned down at her and she smiled back. Inuyasha had been grinning like crazy for hours. In fact, every time she had cried out for him, the grin got brighter. She questioned him about it and the smile faltered.

"Because." He explained solemnly. "You made noises for me. You moaned and screamed for me."

"Well of course I did." Kagome replied, like it was the most obvious thing. "Who could experience all that and not..." she trailed off as she realized the implications. "Oh. Really? She didn't respond?"

Inuyasha gripped Kagome tighter, but turned his face away. "The first time, she thanked me. The time after that there was no baby, she just patted my cheek and went on with her day. The last time, when we made Kita...she just got up and walked out of the hut without saying anything, the heartless bitch."

Kagome turned in his arms so that she could stroke his side. "Don't say that. She was what she was."

"I know." Inuyasha replied sullenly. Then he brightened. "And you are not her. You're Kagome. Ka-go-me." The woman grinned at him, remembering the first time she spoke to Inuyasha.

"I bet you're glad you didn't kill me, huh?"

"Everyday." the half demon vowed.

A/N: I'm BAAAAAAAAAACK! I know it took me ages to get this up. Blame summer vacation, work and the lack of internet connection at my house. But I'm back at school now and your wait is over. I enjoyed writing this chapter so much. I got the idea from watching the "Fateful Night in Togenkyo" episode with a friend of mine. When Inuyasha bursts into the room and Kagome jumps up all naked, my friend goes, "He should just throw her down and do her already." This chapter is for you Kevin. I hope all my Inu/Kag fans enjoyed it too. Please review and let me know.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Two months passed quickly in Feudal Japan. Before any of them had realized it, everyone had fallen into a comfortable routine. Kagome and Inuyasha were closer than it seemed they had ever been. The pups, Volug and Saito included, loved being off on their own, even though they lived not far from their father. Miroku and Sango saw their children growing up quickly. Both of their sons found women in the village who would have them, and left home to start their own families. Shippo and Soten went on a trip to visit the places where they had each grown up. Sesshomaru and Rin busily prepared for the arrival of their first child. All in all everyone had some happiness to live with and the problems of the past seemed to be forgotten.

One afternoon Kagome decided that she needed to return to her time to see her brother and run some errands. Inuyasha scowled at her, but said nothing. Kagome kissed him on the cheek. "Don't worry, Inuyasha. I'm not leaving you. I've just been away from home for longer than I had originally planned. I have to tell Sota and Eri something."

"Keh. Fine." Inuyasha relented, shoving his fists into his sleeves. "But you'd better hurry back."

Kagome kissed him on the mouth gently. "I will. And I'll tell Sota that you said hi." The woman set off from the hut and walked along the path. As she was about to pass the pups' new home, Kagome decided to pop in and say hello.

She knocked on the door and was greeted a moment later by a very disgusted looking Saito. He dropped the scowl when he saw who the visitor was and bowed respectfully. "Good morning, Kagome." he said.

"Hello, Saito. Where is everyone?"

The young man rolled his eyes. "Tai went to visit Sano, Vol and Kita have gone to find some food, after I kicked them out."

Kagome frowned. "Why did you kick them out?"

"They were this close to sullying the main room floor." Saito answered and shuddered. "I suggested that they go make themselves useful elsewhere." He shrugged. "So now I'm here by myself."

"Saito, would you like to go somewhere with me?" Kagome asked after a moment's thought.

"Sure, where are you going?"

"I need to return to my home for a bit and see my family."

Saito shut the door and fell in step with the woman. "Is it close to here, where you live?"

Kagome giggled. "Yes, and no. You'll see." Together they made their way to the Bone Eater's Well. Kagome always marveled at how unchanged it remained, no matter how much time had passed. She sat on the edge of the well and swung her legs around, preparing to jump in. She looked back and saw Saito just standing there staring at her. "What are you waiting for?"

"Um Kagome, this is a well." the young half demon said. "A dry one at that."

"Oh it's more than just a well." Kagome explained. "You must have noticed that I am different than people around here. That I have things that seem...strange and advanced."

Saito considered this and then had to agree. "I always just attributed it to the fact that you have spiritual powers."

"Not even close." Kagome replied. "I'd explain it to you here, but I doubt you'd believe me. So we'll go to my home and I'll tell you the story there. Just follow me." She slipped down from the rim of the well and dropped down into the void.

Seconds later she was climbing out of the well in her family's shrine. Kagome looked around, glad to be home again. Saito clambered out of the well a moment later. "This is not the village." he observed. "Where are we?"

"A more appropriate question would be 'when are we?'" The woman corrected. "Saito, I am not from the same time that we just left. I live about 500 years in the future." She quickly told the young man the story of how she had come to the Feudal Era all those years ago. "I feared that the well would close up after Inuyasha wished on the Jewel, but it seemed that whatever I did when we killed...your father," here she gave him an apologetic look. "blew the void wide open so I can come and go as I please still. Before only Inuyasha could come through with me, now it seems that others can as well, since you are here."

Saito stared at her, absorbing the information. He remembered seeing Kagome the day Naraku was killed. She had stood firmly at Inuyasha's side in her strange looking clothes. He could remember his father cursing her with his last breath. It was a a lot to take in, but he believed her. "That's...crazy." he muttered.

"Yes it is." Kagome agreed. "But you'll be seeing all manner of crazy things today. Let's go." She opened the doors to the well house and the pair of them stepped out into the sunlight. Kagome grinned as she recognized the car parked in front of her family house as her own. Her grinned widened as Sota came out, locking the door behind him.

His eyes bugged when he saw his sister. "Kagome!" he cried and raced toward her. The two siblings embraced. "I guess things went well with Inuyasha then. You've been gone for ages." Just then he caught sight of Saito. "Who is that?"

Kagome laughed. "One question at a time Sota. Yes, things with Inuyasha are wonderful. I didn't mean to stay away so long, I just lost track of time. And that is Saito. Saito come meet my brother." The two shook hands and then Kagome looked at her brother. "Are you headed back to the apartment?"

"Yeah. I was just making sure that everything was okay here. Mom'll be back later today."

Armed with that information Kagome made a decision. "You're picking her up from the airport?" Sota nodded and Kagome took a deep breath. "Okay then. I need you to take us back home and then drop us back off here before you go get Mom."

Sota gave her a suspicious look. "You'll be here to see her won't you?"

"Yes, but then I have to go." Sota knew what that meant. It meant that his sister wasn't going to come back, or if she did, it would just be to visit. But he didn't say anything.

Two hours later, he dropped Saito, Kagome and three duffel bags of her stuff back off at the house and headed off to the airport. Kagome sighed and walked through the house she had grown up in.

Saito was still reeling from all the shocks he'd received that day. (The car rides were especially strange for him. He found it hard to think of it as a big metal horse and wagon the way Sota had suggested.) He noticed though, that Kagome seemed rather somber. "Are you okay?" he wanted to know.

Kagome gave him a sad smile. "I'm alright. I just realized that I don't belong here anymore. I wonder if I ever did."

"No disrespect intended, but I know what it feels like not to belong anywhere, Kagome. You don't have that problem. With you it's more like you belong everywhere and don't know where to settle down."

"You're right." The woman agreed. "I have a life here just as much as I have one with Inuyasha. The only difference is that my heart belongs in the Feudal Era. I've been ignoring that for so long." She shook her head. "But I've made a decision. Inuyasha means more to me than any success I've had here. I'm going to stay with him."

Once she had voiced her decision aloud, it wasn't hard for her to tell her mother when she arrived. The older Higurashi woman smiled knowingly when her daughter said that she was going to live in the past. She knew that the hold Inuyasha had on her Kagome would withstand anything. Even a nineteen year estrangement.

"I wish you luck Kagome." Mrs. Higurashi said. "And you had better come back here and let me meet any children that you might decide to have.

Kagome blushed. "Mom." she protested. She stood and kissed her mother's cheek. "I'll miss you."

"And I you, Kagome. But you must follow your heart. I have thought for sometime that you and Inuyasha belonged together."


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Inuyasha scowled at the well. He was not happy. Kagome had been gone for over six hours, and she'd taken Naraku's whelp with her. In his boredom, the half demon had gone to visit his kids, only to find Volug and Kita barely clothed on a futon. Now his sister was hovering over him, yapping away. So all in all, it had been a pretty crappy day for Inuyasha.

"Stop moping, brother." Anaketsu scolded. "Your woman'll be back. The way you two've been going, I can't believe you're worried."

"I never said I was worried." Inuyasha snapped. "I just don't want Saito getting too comfortable in Kagome's time. Just because he's been all docile doesn't mean we should put all our trust in him just like that."

Ana rolled her eyes. "Now you're reaching, Inuyasha. Saito has proved himself to be trustworthy. You let him live with your kids, for Kami's sake. You just want Kagome to come back, admit it."

"Keh." Inuyasha snorted. He looked away from his sister. Why did she have to be so damn perceptive all the time? He shook his leg angrily. This soon after reclaiming her, being away from Kagome made him nervous. Especially when she stayed away for most of the day with the son of their most hated rival. He was always worried that she would remember the luxury of her time and never return to him.

Anaketsu, sensing her little brother's tension, reached out and rubbed his ears. "You're in love." she stated. Inuyasha opened his mouth and Ana held up a hand. "Come on, Inu, I know what love looks like. I was around when Mother fell for InuTaisho, remember."

"Yeah, yeah I know." the inu half demon muttered. Suddenly his ears pricked as the well activated and a smile spread across his face. A moment later, Saito clambered out of the well, then leaned down to help Kagome out.

She blinked at Inuyasha when she saw him. "You didn't have to wait for me, Inuyasha." the woman said.

"The hell I didn't!" Inuyasha snapped. "You were gone for hours and with Saito no less. What the hell were you doing?"

Kagome ignored him and motioned for Saito to get her bags from the well. Then she gave Inuyasha the full force of her gaze. "I was saying goodbye to my mother and Sota." she explained. "That and getting some things I need so I can stay here."

Inuyasha just stared at her. "You mean...you're going to...stay?"

"I told you I was thinking about staying regardless of what happened with us. Us being together only makes this feel more like home." She gave her lover a smile. "And I invited Saito to go with me because I trust him. He's practically family after all. Is that a problem?"

Inuyasha just grumbled and hefted Kagome's bags, then started to walk off towards the village with Saito not far behind. Anaketsu giggled and hovered around Kagome. "He's relieved." the half bat demon said. "I think he worries every time you even think about leaving."

Kagome grimaced. "I wish I could cure him of that. I love him too much to leave now. I was miserable for nineteen years and I can't do that again."

"He'll get over it eventually." Anaketsu assured her. "He just needs some time to adjust to a healthy relationship. The puppy hasn't had a stable relationship with anyone in his life other than his children. Now they're growing up and moving on. I think he's scared he'll end up alone again."

"Ana?" Kagome asked once she was sure Inuyasha was out of earshot. "I'm worried about something myself. I'm a human, and eventually I'll die. Then Inuyasha really would be alone. Another thing is that I would love nothing more than to give Inuyasha a child that came from both of us, but how long will I live to see it grow?"

"There is a way that you can have the lifespan of Inuyasha." Anaketsu remarked. "If the two of you become mates of the soul then he can share his longevity with you."

"Mates of the soul?" Kagome asked.

"Mmhmm. It's a deeper form of mating that most demons don't choose to do. You are basically sharing your soul with another. It brings mates closer together in good and bad ways. The two of you will have the same lifespan, but if one of you dies or is fatally wounded, the other will either suffer for the rest of their life or die."

"I think that would happen anyway." Kagome remarked. "How do you do this mating?"

Ana grinned. "Well it starts out in the usual way." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Then you mark each other at the same time. Allow any feelings of love that you have to flow through you, it strengthens the bond. But be sure that you talk to him about it first, the last thing you need is centuries of resentment."

That gave Kagome a lot to think about. She was silent as she waved goodbye to Ana and Saito and followed Inuyasha into the hut they now shared. She was lost in her thoughts as she organized her things and watched the half demon make dinner.

"I'm not going to keep you from seeing your family, you know." Inuyasha said abruptly, snapping Kagome out of her reverie. "If that's what you're worried about."

"What?" Kagome's head snapped up. "Oh, I know that, Inuyasha. I'm not really worried about anything like that. I was just...thinking."

In the past, Inuyasha would have just left it that. He had never really had the courage to ask Kagome about her thoughts. Now he wanted to know. "Are you thinking about leaving again?"

"No!" the woman exclaimed. "I told you, Inuyasha. I'm staying with you. For as long as I can." She lowered her eyes then. "Actually that's I was thinking about specifically, staying with you for as long as possible."

Inuyasha moved closer to her and nuzzled her neck. "What did you have in mind?"

Kagome pushed him away. "Well I talked to Ana earlier and she told me something. But I'd like to know where you see us going."

The half demon frowned. "I can only imagine what that bat had to say. But Kagome, you know that I love you. I would love nothing more than to be beside you for the rest of my life."

"But that's just it. It wouldn't be for the rest of your life, it would be for the rest of _my_ life, which to be honest isn't going to be but for a few more decades. I don't want it to end like that, Inuyasha. Especially if there are children." her voice broke on the last word.

"What did Ana suggest?" Inuyasha wanted to know. Then his face paled. "You'd...give me children?"

Kagome gave him her brightest smile. "I'd love to have your child Inuyasha. I just want to ensure that I would be able to be there for it. Anaketsu suggested that we become mates of the soul."

That threw Inuyasha for a loop. He had heard of becoming mates of the soul. It was what Sesshomaru had done with Rin, after all. It was nearly unheard of for a demon to do so with a human, but the demon lord hadn't really given a damn. It wasn't like any of the lesser demons were going to challenge him. Even the great InuTaisho hadn't gone so far as to share his life fully with Inuyasha's mother, Lady Izayoi.

_Does any of that even matter? _He asked himself._ I've already proven that I am nothing like my brother or the old man. _He looked over at Kagome who was poking at the fire. He loved her, his kids liked her, they could make it work. Inuyasha knew they could. He nodded slowly. "I would very much like to be your mate of the soul." he said finally. "Though, I should probably talk it over with Kita and Tai first."

"Of course." Kagome agreed.

Inuyasha pulled her closer to him and buried his face in her hair. "I love you." the half demon murmured. "I want you with me always."

"I'll be here." Kagome promised. And she meant it with all her heart.


	22. Chapter 21

_**We're nearing the end you guys! There are about 2 chapters left after this one and one of them is already written. There will be a sequel coming soon. I just need to come up with the format of it. Okay, that's all from me for now. Enjoy and review!**_

Chapter 21

Sesshomaru was standing on the terrace outside his bedroom, looking out over the gardens. The moonlight glinted in his hair as his keen ears picked up every sound around him. He sifted through them, a smile tugging at his lips at the sound of Rin rolling over on the bed in the room behind him. The demon lord inhaled his lady's sweet lilac smell and sighed. Had he ever been so content?

Rin made a small sound, drawing Sesshomaru's attention. His head jerked up as Rin's scent changed. She was about to have the baby. He rushed back into the bedroom and scooped Rin up into his arms. She moaned and her eyelids fluttered open. "S-sesshomaru? What-?" she gasped in pain. "Is it time?" Her eyes showed more fear than Sesshomaru had ever seen in them. It made his blood run cold with anxiety.

"It is time." Sesshomaru told her, trying to keep his calm so that Rin wouldn't get too afraid. "Rin, I need to summon Inuyasha and his priestess. I will need the woman's assistance for this birth."

"Don't leave me, Sesshomaru." Rin panted. "Please."

The demon lord was torn. He would get there faster himself, but Rin wanted him to stay. In the past she had always been fine with him leaving. That she wanted him now, spoke volumes of her fear. He gave a curt nod and pulled the bell by the bed to summon one of his demonic servants.

Seconds later, a young inu woman appeared in the room. "You summoned, my lord?" she inquired with a bow.

"Find Inuyasha and the priestess called Kagome. They reside in the village on the edge of the Goshinboku forest. Go."

The woman nodded and vanished. Sesshomaru pulled the bell again, this time to summon the castle midwife. Rin moaned in pain and Sesshomaru set her back down on the bed. "Shh." he murmured to her. "It will be fine." The demon stroked her face carefully.

Rin bit back another cry and gave her lord a shaky smile. "I know you will take care of me and our child." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight. "I love you."

"And I you."

The midwife arrived not long after. She took one look at Rin and gasped. Sesshomaru snarled at her and she bowed. "Forgive me, my lord, but this babe...This babe has immense demon energy. I have no experience with half demon babies this strong. In fact, not since your own birth has there been such a strong demonic aura in an unborn child."

Rin's eyes widened at the old demoness' words and suddenly she very much wanted a friend with her. She struggled to sit up in the bed. "Please Sesshomaru, bring Anaketsu."

The demon lord nodded. "Stay with her." he snapped at the midwife. "If any harm should befall her or my heir, your life will be forfeit." Sesshomaru moved with all his speed up to the rooms that Inuyasha's half sister inhabited.

The door to her chambers was flung open before he had reached them fully, and a sleep tousled Anaketsu scowled at Sesshomaru. "What the hell is going on Sess?" she demanded. "The air is charged with demonic aura. Are we under attack?"

"Rin calls for you. She is-"

"She's in labor?" Ana exclaimed, cutting him off. "Then why are we standing around here? Come on." She spread her wings and took off towards the lord's chamber with the lord himself not far behind.

Once she had arrived, the bat went over to Rin and grabbed her hand. "Sweet Kami Rin, what are you giving birth to?"

The lady of the Western Lands opened her mouth to say something but yelled in pain instead. Sesshomaru gritted his teeth. "Get here now, Inuyasha." he muttered.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The half demon in question woke with a start, his senses on high alert. Inuyasha looked down into Kagome's open eyes.

"I know." she said. "Something's coming."

The couple dressed quickly and headed out to await whoever was approaching. A few moments later a young woman appeared in front of them.

"Lord Inuyasha and Priestess Kagome?" she asked.

"Who wants to know?" Inuyasha snapped.

The young woman, who was revealed to Inuyasha's nose as a dog demon, bowed. "Forgive me for disturbing your rest Lord Inuyasha. I am Megumi. My Lord Sesshomaru sent me to bring you back to the Castle of the West."

"And what the hell does he want?"

Megumi bit her lip. "Lady Rin is in labor and Lord Sesshomaru wishes Priestess Kagome to preside over the birth."

I'm not sure how much good I can do." Kagome replied. "But I'll certainly go back with you Megumi. Give me a minute to gather some supplies."

"Thank you, Lady." Megumi said with a bow.

Kagome nodded and headed back into the hut with Inuyasha behind her. "I don't want to hear any grumbling out of you." Kagome told him. "Rin is your sister in law and we're going to do what we can to help her. Sesshomaru is probably clueless right now, and you've got two kids worth of experience. So just suck it up and let's go."

"Pushy wench." Inuyasha growled. "I wasn't going to argue."

Kagome kissed him on the cheek and shouldered the small bag she had packed. "Good. Now let's go." Inuyasha took the bag from her and grabbed her hand. Together they went back outside. "How are we getting there in time?" Kagome wanted to know.

"One of my powers is to teleport with my demon energy." Megumi explained. "You need only touch my body and I will take us back in all haste."

"Then get on it." Inuyasha ordered. Even though he'd never admit it, he was a little worried about his brother's mate. He grasped the servant's shoulder and motioned for Kagome to do the same. As soon as they both had a hand on her, Megumi raised her power. If the pair of them hadn't been so used to traveling through the void of the well the experience of teleporting to the West would have severely rattled them. Before they could even react, they were standing in front of Sesshomaru's chamber doors.

Megumi entered the room and bowed. "Your brother and Priestess Kagome, my lord."

Sesshomaru came over to them, looking very worried. Kagome looked up at the lord. "What's going on, Sesshomaru? Are there complications?"

"The child's demon energy is unlike anything the midwife has ever encountered. She is unsure of how to proceed so that Rin will not be harmed."

Kagome nodded and rolled up sleeves. "I think I can put up a barrier to shield the baby's demonic aura until he or she is free from Rin. Once the child is born, you will have to teach control." She went over to the bed and laid a comforting hand on Rin's stomach.

Inuyasha saw the unease in his brother's eyes and poked him. "Look, you probably don't want to stay here for this. Once women start fiddling with things like this we are kinda useless."

"I cannot abandon her." Sesshomaru said, never removing his eyes from his mate. "She might need me."

"Trust me, the only thing she'll need you for now is a hand to crush." Inuyasha could see that his brother was still unsure. "Yo Ana, come get us if Rin needs Sesshomaru." Ana nodded and Inuyasha steered Sesshomaru from the room and into the hall.

Sesshomaru raised his golden eyes to his brother's. "You seem well versed in situations such as this." he said softly.

"Yeah well, I do have two kids and as headman of my village, I've seen countless births." Inuyasha replied.

"You have grown, Inuyasha."

The half demon reddened and looked away. "Could...could I ask you something?" he stammered.

The demon lord studied Inuyasha's face. "You may ask."

"Anaketsu suggested that Kagome and I become mates of the soul."

"That is not a question." Sesshomaru remarked.

Inuyasha scowled. "I know, I was getting to it. I'm going to take Ana's advice and mate my soul with Kagome's. I just wanna know...what it's like, to be bound to someone like that."

The elder sibling was silent for a moment, looking to the room where Rin was struggling with his heir. Finally he turned back to his brother. "It was the hardest thing I have done. My feelings for Rin were enough to make me consider the mating, but it was you, who made me determined to do it. You, who couldn't have cared less about the legacy of our father. You, who only followed your heart. I thought Father was weak and foolish for taking your mother. But it was a strength even though he didn't share his soul. The moment I allowed Rin into mine, I felt free. Like I had surpassed Father and the shame I felt for his decisions. Does that answer your question, little brother?"

"I guess so." Inuyasha mumbled. "So you don't regret it then?"

Golden eyes flicked back to the room where Rin was. "I've worried about it. But never regretted it."

The brothers fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Suddenly there was a blood curdling scream followed by a wail.

"Sess! We need you!" Anaketsu shouted from the room.

The demon lord swore under his breath and sprung for the door. The women in the room looked up as Sesshomaru burst in with a wild look on his face. Rin's head flopped back against the pillows and she gave her lord a weak smile. Ana walked over to him.

"Calm down, Sesshomaru." the bat soothed. "Everything is fine. Kagome works wonders."

Sesshomaru turned toward the Priestess. Kagome grinned at him and offered him the swathed bundle in her arms. "Your heir, my lord." she said.

The bundle was placed in Sesshomaru's arms and he cradled it gently. Slowly, he folded the blankets back. "A girl." he breathed. The tiny child was the image of her parents. She had inherited her father's silky silver hair and her mother's brown eyes. The magenta stripes that adorned Sesshomaru's cheeks were replicated on the baby's wrists and ankles. Atop her head were tiny dog ears tipped in black fur and when she yawned, little fangs showed in her mouth. There was a moment of perfect silence as father and daughter stared into each other's eyes.

"What's her name?" Ana inquired.

"Inara." Sesshomaru answered immediately. "After Rin's mother." He found his mate's eyes and gave her one of his rare smiles.


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

It was nearly a month after Inara's birth when things finally settled down. In the first couple of days Kagome got no rest. She was busily making sure Rin was recovering well and that the baby was healthy. Miroku came up to the Castle to assist Sesshomaru in formulating ways to keep Inara's demonic energy in check. Kita, Tai, Volug, and Saito came to meet the newest member of the family and it was decided that they would all stay until the traditional naming ceremony was completed.

There were going to be many lords visiting the West to greet and pay respect to the new heir. The night of the ceremony found Inuyasha in an unsurprisingly bad mood. He was sitting on the bed in the room that Sesshomaru had given to him and Kagome.

"Inuyasha please," Kagome was saying. "It won't be that bad."

"Keh. Shows what you know." Inuyasha scoffed. "I've spent the better part of my life being scorned by these lords. How can you expect me to kiss up to them now?"

Kagome came over and sat next to the half-demon. "I understand." she assured him. "Some of these guests have treated you like crap. But for tonight, you are better than them. You are here as the brother of the Lord of the Western Lands and the son of the former lord, you're the uncle of the the new heir. Tonight they all bow to you."

Inuyasha sighed and stood up, adjusting his dress kimono. "I'll do it for you, and for little Inara. But they had better act right or I'll make them wish they had."

"Of course." Kagome stood as well and smoothed her own dress clothes. Inuyasha followed her hands with his eyes. The woman looked beautiful. She was decked out in a green and blue kimono of pure silk. Her raven locks were swept over one shoulder and secured with jeweled pins. She offered Inuyasha her hand and they went to stand in the main hall outside the Great Chamber where the ceremony would be held.

Tai and Volug were already there, looking uncomfortable in their fancy clothes. Kita and Saito hurried over a moment later. Saito was holding Inara, who he handed to Kagome.

"Lord Sesshomaru wishes you to be the one who presents the child to him. He said it was your right." the young man said.

"I'm honored." Kagome gasped.

The ceremony began not long after and each member of the family was announced to the visiting lords. They filed along to the dais where Sesshomaru and Rin were standing looking as regal as Inuyasha had ever seen them. As one, the half demon's family bowed and then Kagome stepped forward. She bowed again and cleared her throat.

"Lord Sesshomaru, Lady Rin, I beg permission to speak."

Rin nodded and Sesshomaru inclined his head regally. "You have it, Priestess."

"My lord and lady. I present you with your child. She has been examined and blessed and deemed ready to be presented to you as the heir to this land." Kagome held Inara out to the demon with a smile.

Sesshomaru accepted the baby and held it close. "I thank you, Priestess Kagome, for your care of my child." He turned to the assembled crowd of visiting lords. "I name this child Inara as I name her as my heir. If ever I should fall, may she take up the mantle of the Western Lands and lead our people well." He handed the baby to Rin.

Rin smiled down at her daughter. "I accept this child as heir of this land that I love and rejoice in the name that she was given. May she be as strong and wise leader, both brave and kind." The woman took a deep breath and set a determined look on her face. "May she turn a deaf ear to all forms of ridicule and be proud of her birth, for it is noble and strong. May her life experiences give her compassion for the people she leads."

Sesshomaru hid a smile at his mates words. She had become accustomed to speaking her mind. He motioned for Rin to place Inara in the basket on the pedestal in front them and speared Inuyasha with his gaze.

The half demon gave his brother a blank look, and Kagome elbowed him discreetly. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and stepped forward "Brother, I beg leave to give a blessing to my niece. I ask this by right of our shared blood and our shared condition." His ears twitched as they picked up a few disapproving murmurs from their guests.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "You have the right, Inuyasha. Furthermore I would like to offer you the title of godfather to my daughter by right of your _shared condition._"

"I accept, thank you." Inuyasha replied dryly. He moved closer to Inara's basket and looked down at her. "Niece, goddaughter, may you have the strength to defend yourself and those under your protection. May you have the courage to do what you think is right and the fortitude to always follow your heart."

As the ceremony continued, the visitors and the rest of Inuyasha's family gave their blessings to little Inara. During the tedious process, the girl sat there looking regal yet adorable. Once the whole thing was over, Rin showed the guests to their rooms and Sesshomaru lifted Inara into his arms. The baby sighed and nestled into her father's chest, falling asleep there.

Kagome saw this and smiled wistfully. She wanted so much to have a baby someday and hoped that Inuyasha wouldn't be too burned out on kids to have more.

Inuyasha caught her look and frowned. He knew that she was thinking and he knew what he had to do. Tai walked by then and Inuyasha grabbed the back of his kimono to stop him.

"Jeez Dad." the young man groaned.

"Hush." his father snapped. "Go find your sister and meet me in the nursery on the third floor." Tai stared at his father in confusion. "Now please, Taisho." Inuyasha scolded.

Tai rolled his eyes and went to look for Kita. Inuyasha headed up to the higher levels of the castle alone. The higher he climbed, the more memories assaulted him. Suddenly he was four years old, playing on the floor with his mother. This castle had been his home until Sesshomaru had returned to the West and forced the half demon and his mother to leave. Inuyasha was surprised to find that the simmering resentment that he had felt for the better part of his life had mostly dissipated.

The nursery on the third floor had belonged to him. From the disrepair that it had fallen into, the half demon surmised that it had been left untouched since he'd last used it. A small smile graced his lips as he leaned against one wall to wait for his pups. They came in a few minutes later and stared around the room.

"What is this place, Papa?" Kita wanted to know.

"My old nursery. This is where I spent the first few years of my life." Inuyasha took a deep breath and went on with what he had to say "I know we haven't really been that close of a family. Especially not since your mother died. And we haven't talked that much either, but there are some things that I want to say to the two of you."

Immediately Taisho and Kita sat down and focused their attention on their father. It was rare that he wanted to have a serious conversation. "Go ahead, Papa." Kita urged.

"So, I know that I've been kinda absent lately." Inuyasha began. "I've never been that good of a father and lately I've been so busy trying to figure out the next path my life will take that I haven't been there for you pups like I should have been."

"We've been fine." Tai said. "As your children, self-sufficiency is in our blood."

"Besides, you've seemed a lot happier these past few months. In fact, ever since Kagome got here, you've been like a different person." Kita added.

"Speaking of it, how do the two of you feel about Kagome?" Inuyasha queried.

"I like her." Tai said. "She's strange but...it seems as if she is what completes you, Father. She completes you like Mother never could."

Kami knew that was the truth. "How would you feel then, if Kagome and I were to mate our souls together?"

"Like Uncle Sesshomaru and Aunt Rin did?"

Inuyasha nodded.

"You should go for it, Father." Tai reasoned. "You obviously love her, so there's no reason not to."

"He's right." Kita chimed in. "We like her, you love her. Even Uncle Sesshomaru likes her. You need this, Papa. You need her. You need her like I need Volug, like Uncle Sess needs Aunt Rin, like Saito needed family. You can't escape that."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at his daughter. "When did you get to be so smart?" he asked with a grin.

Kita shrugged. "It's part of that whole growing up thing. Don't worry, you'll get there one day."


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

It was time. There were no more distractions, no more interruptions. Sesshomaru and Rin had kicked all of them out of their castle so they could coo over their daughter in private. Miroku and Sango had gone to visit their sons. Tai, Kita, Volug, and Saito had gone to their hut and were settled in for the night. It was time.

Kagome was sitting in the firelight writing in the strange flowered book that she called her diary. Inuyasha stood at the door of the hut just watching her. It never failed to amaze him how this girl who had come from a completely different time, in all her perfection, could belong with him. She didn't seem to be aware that she was being scrutinized as she tucked a lock of raven hair behind her ear and smiled as she wrote something else down. She closed the book and kissed the cover, then turned around to face her lover. A light blush spread across her face when Kagome saw the heat in his gaze.

"Why are you staring at me?" she asked a little breathlessly.

Inuyasha walked over to her and sat down, taking her hand in his. "Because I love you." he said sincerely. "I love you and I thank Kami everyday that you are mine."

Kagome flushed darker now. "Inuyasha." she murmured. "I love you too. I'm so glad you were willing to give us a try. And I'm glad that we're going to mate."

"About that." the half demon began. "This is the only time in a long time that it has been just you and me. We should, 'reap the benefits of intimacy', to quote the monk."

"You mean...now?" Kagome gasped.

"Why not?" Inuyasha demanded. "Why should we wait when we feel this way about each other?"

The woman was silent for a moment and then a soft smile spread across her face. She reached down and removed the obi from the kimono she was wearing. "Why not indeed?" In a matter of seconds they were both undressed and Inuyasha lowered himself onto Kagome's body slowly.

He loved the way their bodies fit together so perfectly, as if it were meant to be. Their eyes locked together and Inuyasha thrust himself into her. Kagome moaned and lifted her hips, meeting the half demon thrust for thrust. Together the two of the built up a momentum and were soon gasping their pleasure.

Then, all at once, when they were both teetering on the edge of release, something moved through them. It was a feeling that neither of them would be able to describe afterwards. All they knew was that at the same moment they both lurched forward and bit each other. Inuyasha sunk his fangs in the right side of Kagome's neck and the woman went for the opposite side of Inuyasha's. As one they bit down and climaxed, each of their cries of passion muffled in the skin of the one they loved most in the world.

For a moment, nothing happened, then a strange pink light enveloped the couple. Kagome felt a strange energy enter her body, filling her with a strength that was part hers and part something else. For a moment, it felt like she was two things at once and she mused that this must be how Inuyasha felt all the time. As soon as it had come, the energy funneled out of her and into the body that she was clutching.

Inuyasha would have normally fought the alien forces that were at work, but this was something that he trusted. He allowed the strange energy to enter him and suddenly he felt as if he was being pulled in two different directions. As if he wanted to stay where he was, but there was a part of him that belonged elsewhere. _"Must be how Kagome feels sometimes." _He thought.

Kagome and Inuyasha drew back from each other and licked the marks they had made. Then the two of them collapsed against each other and were out for the rest of the night.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The mating process having sapped most of their energy, Inuyasha and Kagome slept until the midmorning light warmed their bodies. Kagome cracked open an eye slowly and groaned. She felt like there was a boulder lying on top of her body.

"Fuck." Inuyasha moaned from above her. So that was the boulder.

"Inuyasha, get off of me," said Kagome. "You weigh a ton."

The half demon rolled to the side and flopped onto the floor. "I do not." He fired back weakly. "What the hell happened to us?"

"Some weird form of joining." The woman answered. "Can you help me up?"

"If I can manage to get myself up." Inuyasha got stiffly to his feet and cracked his neck and back. Then he leaned down and grasped Kagome's hands in his. The moment their hands touched, a spark of energy jumped and flooded through their bodies, revitalizing them. Inuyasha lifted Kagome to her feet easily. "Never again." He muttered.

"I doubt we need to do it again. It felt pretty permanent to me." She wrapped her arms around the half demon. "I love you."

Inuyasha lifted her chin and kissed her firmly on the mouth. Another spark jumped between them. "Damn it all to hell!" Inuyasha swore. "What is the deal with all these-" he broke off as he noticed what was happening to Kagome.

The spark had jumped from their lips to the woman's eyes, sketching a glowing amber ring around the chocolate colored irises. As the half demon watched, Kagome underwent a stunning transformation. Her hair lengthened until it was almost to her knees and a streak of pure silver ran down the right side. Her ears tapered into soft points that were hardly noticeable until you looked right up close. The spark kept going until burgundy stripes placed themselves along Kagome's wrists, waist, and ankles. Once it seemed she was as changed as she was going to get, the woman looked up at Inuyasha.

He stood with his mouth hanging open in shock. But the energy wasn't done yet. No, it jumped from Kagome to him. Giving the half demon a brown ring around his irises, and burgundy stripes along his cheeks and shoulders. Finally, the ice blue crescent moon, the symbol of his lineage, appeared on his forehead. Then with a final rush, all the energy was gone.

Kagome raced to her pack and dug out a mirror. "Holy cow!" she exclaimed. "What happened to me?"

Inuyasha snapped out of his shock and looked over at her. "I can only guess that you got more than just my lifespan out of our mating." he said. "Do I look any different?"

"See for yourself." Kagome handed the mirror over to her lover and grinned at the shocked expression on his face. "I guess you finally came into your full power." she remarked.

The half demon set the looking glass down and walked over to her. "Even if we hadn't got these...transformations out of the deal, this would have still been the happiest day of my life."

Kagome grinned. She felt much the same, but she wanted to hear Inuyasha say the words. She wanted to hear why he was so happy. "How so?" she queried with a small smile.

Inuyasha struggled for the words. "All my life, I've been alone, an outcast. Half human and half demon, but accepted by neither. Then you came along and...I had never felt so alive. When you were gone I...I was more alone than ever before because I knew what I could have had and I thought I'd never have it again. Even with Tai and Kita, Miroku, Sango and their pups. I still felt like there was nothing left for me. Now...you're here and you're mine and nothing is ever going to take you away again. This...whatever the hell it was, cemented that. That's why I am so happy."

"And how do you feel about my new look?"

"That is simply a perk." Inuyasha answered. He took Kagome into his arms and buried his face in her new hair. "It's like the Kami remade you just for me even though they didn't have to. I loved you as you were, but now everything just feels perfect."

Kagome smiled and traced her mate's new markings with gentle fingers. "Yes it does. I love you, Inuyasha. I love you and I'll always be yours." She leaned up and kissed him with all the heat and passion that she felt inside.

When they came up for air, Inuyasha pulled back. "Alright, enough of that. Our solitude can't last for much longer. Let's get cleaned up. I want to go show you off to the villagers."

Kagome giggled. "What about you? You look pretty dashing yourself. Don't you want to show off?"

"Of course. I can't wait to see the look on Sesshomaru's face!" The half demon barked out a laugh and started to pull on his clothes.

_Nineteen years. _Kagome mused. _It seems like forever ago that I returned here, and there's still so much to sort out. But either way, it's good to be home._

_**A/N: Praise Kami, it's over. That is the end! Nineteen Years has come to a close. I know there are still some unanswered questions and things that you want to see happen. But don't worry. There is a sequel well on the way. It's going to focus mostly on Sesshomaru and Rin's daughter Inara and...well I'll let the rest be a surprise. If you have any ideas for the sequel please let me know. The longer it takes me to come up with something to write about, the longer it'll be until the story goes up. **_

_**I want to thank everyone who stuck with this story from the beginning. I'd name you all, but, well...I'm lazy and it's late. I've got a Biology exam tomorrow and I should technically be studying, but I wanted to get this done. That's how much I care! So again thanks to everyone who reviewed ever and stay tuned for the sequel. Blessed be.**_


End file.
